


Help Me, Fix Me, Heal Me

by Mid_Nightmare



Series: Starker Week 2018 [5]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: A/B/O, Age Difference, Alpha Chief Steve Rogers, Alpha Clint Barton, Alpha Hope Van Dyne, Alpha James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Alpha Nick Fury, Alpha Sam Wilson, Alpha Stephen Strange, Alpha Steve Rogers, Alpha Thor (Marvel), Alpha Tony Stark, Alpha Vision, Alpha/Beta, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Beta Bruce Banner, Beta Helen Cho, Beta Maria Hill, Beta Natasha Romanov, Beta Pepper Potts, Beta Pietro Maximoff, Beta Scott Lang, Beta/Beta, Claiming Bites, Consensual Underage Sex, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, F/M, Happy Ending, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Mpreg, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Underage Relationship(s), Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Knotting, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Rituals, Mpreg, Multi, Nick and Maria are mostly just mentioned, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, OCs are just kids for the most part, Omega Bucky Barnes, Omega Loki (Marvel), Omega Peter Parker, Omega Riley, Omega Wanda Maximoff, POV Alternating, Pack Dynamics, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts is Not A Good Guy, Pietro Maximoff Lives, Post Mpreg, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, References to Knotting, Romance, Sadly, Scent Marking, Scenting, Soul Bond, Teen Pregnancy, True Mates, True Omegas, Underage Kissing, Underage Relationship(s), Underage Sex, Werewolf Mates, Werewolves, lots of kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-06-13 13:38:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 42,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15365850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mid_Nightmare/pseuds/Mid_Nightmare
Summary: Sitting his form down by the base of a tree, Tony thought more in depth. Was he having baby fever? He certainly wanted to have pups of his own, and his skin was itching at the idea of having a little one that was his instead of his nephew/niece. But it didn’t feel right. He could see himself with a pup, a little mini-me, but he couldn’t see himself and Pepper with a pup. The mental image would never focus, would never morph to show a happy family.Maybe it was time to end things…ORTony is doubting his relationship with Pepper when he finds a broken and injured young wolf by the name of Peter. He brings the boy back to the pack to heal his injuries and is left in charge of the kid until he can walk. Staying so close to the boy though has an effect on Tony. Can he get Peter to stay without ripping the pack apart?Prompt Six of Starker Week!





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys!  
> First off, I know Starker week is over, but I wrote most of this before with the intention of posting it, so I wanted to keep it with everything else since that was the plan. Second, this was suppose to be a oneshot but my ass couldn't stop writing once I started, and I hit 20k before they were even mated, dear god- Third, I just wanted to say that I do not dislike Pepper, but I needed an antagonist in this story, and she fit the bill, so please don't think I'm bashing her because I really don't mind her character. Fourth, have fun! I hope you enjoy my first chaptered fic!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated: 6/5/2019

Leaning his head back against the rough rock of the cave, Tony let out a deep breath through his nose. His eyes slipped shut as he tried to block out the light and silence the constant hum of his pack in his thoughts. It was times like this that Tony wished he had stayed in his mini pack of just friends instead of accidentally creating this much larger one.

 

It used to just be him, Pepper, and Rhodey. Carol came a bit later when they stumbled upon her mid-fight with an oddly large doe that seemed to be one of the few that would actually fight instead of run away. Rhodey fell hard for the obviously headstrong beta, so of course, she had been incorporated into the pack without so much of a blink of the eye. But even with Carol, it had only been the four of them, and the constant hum of their pack was always a gentle and warm reminder of the family they had. 

 

Now though, living in a pack of over twenty, the noise was never truly just a soft hum.

 

Yet, even though they could be noisy and a bit obnoxious at times, Tony knew he wouldn’t trade his pack for anything. Even still though, it was funny to him how clear the memory of the day he joined his large, loveable, and, occasionally, insufferable pack.

 

When their pack had been approached by a rugged alpha, who clearly had been in a fight or two - truthfully,  _ several _ \- though, it was admittedly hard to forget. Nick had been very different than Tony originally anticipated, however. With matted black fur and scars littering his muzzle and ears, Tony had been expecting a fight, but when the fur receded and disappeared to reveal dark chocolate skin, and the human form of the wolf offered them the option of more protection in a larger pack, it was clear that looks weren’t everything.

 

Nick, while missing his left eye and having scars littering most of the left side of his face, was not actually the leader of the pack he was offering, but he was the one that was known for having the best judge of character and constantly brought new people into their pack. Nick and his mate, Maria, weren’t necessarily considered  _ constant  _ pack members, but their Chief was very open to new members if it meant helping other people.

 

Tony chose not to ask how Nick knew about their pack’s trouble. He did, however, show caution towards trusting any unknown wolves. When Nick and Maria had offered a meeting with their pack, some of the hesitancy had ebbed.

 

Being in a massive pack wasn’t something Tony thought he would ever do again, not after the disaster of the last one, but when he had met the giant pack of misfits (truthfully, it didn’t appear as if more than two wolves were even from the same area), it was clear that this was the best option for all of them. Tony’s pack had skills that the other had needed, and the protection and strength that came with a larger pack could help them all. Now, Tony wouldn’t trade his pack for anything, even though sometimes they made him want to scream.

 

A movement next to him broke him from his thoughtful ravine and alerted him to the presence of one of his pack members. His nose was the one that told him who it was though. The earthy scent of grass coupled with the smoke of a smoldering fire and tainted with the faintest smell of lilies filled his nose. Steve.

 

Tony slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to regard the other alpha, the Chief of their pack. Steve was in his human form: all bulging muscles barely contained in his pale skin, short dirty blonde hair, bright blue eyes that always held a kindness in them. That kindness was usually appreciated, but right now, directed at him, Tony found it annoying.

 

“I take it you heard,” is what he said by greeting, turning away from the Chief and looking out into the forest.

 

“Hard to keep secrets in the pack,” Steve said gently, leaning himself up against the same wall as Tony. It was quiet for a moment, and Tony wished the man would just hurry up and say what he was going to say and save them both from the growing awkward silence. “You know…”  _ Finally. _ “You guys have been fighting a lot recently. Do you want to talk about it?”

 

“No,” was Tony’s automatic answer. He and Steve had an odd friendship. They worked best on the field when they were hunting or fighting together, but at home, Steve was a lot more tender and wanted to talk about  _ feelings  _ and things like that while Tony preferred to, truthfully, lock them in a box and throw the key away. Their friendship survived mostly because Steve somehow managed to be able to tell when Tony actually felt like talking and when he’d rather be silent for the next ten years. Maybe that was Bucky’s expertise though, and maybe  _ that  _ was why Steve was here now when he’d much rather do anything but talk about it.

 

“You sure?” Steve pressed slightly, looking at the smaller alpha. “I mean, it’s perfectly understandable. I mean, I don’t… fully understand why you don’t want to mate, but I think I can understand that it might not be what you’re looking for. Or maybe Pepper’s just not the right on-”

 

“I really don’t want to talk about this, Steve,” Tony hissed, his body tensing. Talking about the still bruising conversation from earlier, especially since the pack seemed to have heard everything, was not helping Tony feel any better. “We fought. We’ve been fighting. Just leave it at that.”

 

“Maybe it would be better though if you did talk about it, Tony. You tend to keep your emotions to yourself, maybe opening up once in a while would help.”

 

Tony let out a bitter, humorless laugh before standing. It was bad etiquette to get up and walk away from the Chief when he was speaking, but Steve wasn’t like other Chiefs, and Tony wasn’t like other third in commands. He began to walk down the side of the cliff their cave was built into. “Bye, Chief. I’ll be back later,” he called back.

 

“Tony!” Steve called after him. Tony ignored how his wolf whined and tried to tell him to submit and return to the leader of their pack. The second his feet hit the ground though, he forgot it entirely in favor of shifting. With quick movements, black and gray fur was entirely covering his body, and he was on all fours instead of just bipedal. Tony quickly shook out his fur before breaking into a run and going through the forest.

 

He put up a wall to prevent the pack from hearing his thoughts and to officially silence the murmurs of the others. He was several kilometers away when he finally slowed to a walk and allowed his thoughts to drift to his most recent fight with Pepper.

 

Truthfully they’ve been fighting a lot as of late. Pepper has been trying to convince him that maybe it was the time that they make things official, that they bond instead of just mate and talk as if they were each other’s other half. She wanted to settle down, wanted to think about having pups to help increase the pack’s numbers. It probably didn’t help that Rhodey and Carol now had a pair of pups from the last breeding season. That now meant there were seven pairs with pups: Steve and Bucky, Rhodey and Carol, Sam and Riley, Thor and Loki, Vis and Wanda, Scott and Hope, hell even Nat and Clint (they probably weren’t going to be having any more since the one had almost killed Nat). Pepper probably was having baby fever. Something that Tony wasn’t so sure he was also having.

 

He let out a small sigh though it came out more like a snort now. Sitting his form down by the base of a tree, Tony thought more in-depth. Was he having baby fever? He certainly wanted to have pups of his own, and his skin was itching at the idea of having a little one that was  _ his  _ instead of his niece or nephew. It just… It didn’t feel right. He could see himself with a pup, a little mini-me, but he couldn’t see himself  _ and  _ Pepper with a pup. The mental image would never focus, would never morph to show a happy family...

 

Maybe it was time to end things.

 

He shook his head, trying to rid the thought away as he pushed himself back onto all fours just as the wind changed directions. He stopped immediately as the scent of lilacs filled his nose. He had never smelt lilacs before in their territory. No one had a particularly floral heavy scent, even the omegas, and the flowers didn’t grow in the area either. Tony knew it had to be an outsider.

 

He growled softly as his hair raised on end, making his large form seem even bigger as he followed the scent. Whoever was in their territory was going to have to leave. He was not about to risk his best friend’s young pups.

 

As he got closer to the scent that was lingering at the river that acted as a barrier for their territory, it changed. Instead of just lilacs, he could smell the overwhelming scent of copper. Blood. Whoever was on their territory was either bleeding or covered in blood. There was also fear mixed into the scent, and as Tony registered it, he began to move a bit quicker.

 

When he broke through the line of trees in front of the river, the scent strength doubled. He looked around quickly before spotting the source. On the other side of the large river - therefore not actually on their territory - was a small chocolate brown wolf. The wolf looked thin and young, and Tony kept his distance until he watched the wolf move slightly and whimper pitifully as his hind leg shifted. He could see the blood that had darkened and matted the fur on the limb, and he could actually see from where he was standing that the wound was huge. It looked like an entire set of teeth marks had torn through the wolf’s leg.

 

Tony walked down to the water’s edge, and he made a small chuff to gain the other’s attention. Large brown eyes opened and looked up at him, and then the pup seemed to curl into himself and let out the most heart-wrenching whimper of fear and pain. Tony felt his chest tighten at the display, and he quickly shifted back into his bipedal form.

 

“Hey… I’m not going to hurt you,” he said softly, shifting to try and get a better look at the wound. The pup whimpered again, using his tail to cover his injury, and Tony sighed softly. “That looks pretty bad, kid. Why don’t you let me bring you back and get that looked at before it gets infected?”

 

Those brown eyes looked up at him, clouded with fear and pain, and the pup shook his head while letting out a whimper. Tony sighed before slipping himself into the water, cursing under his breathe at the cold. He swam over to the pup before pulling himself onto the other side of the riverbank, and he was surprised to see just how small the pup really was.

 

His wolf form wasn’t much bigger than Tony’s bipedal form. He could see the outline of ribs and the knobs of the other’s spine, and he realized instantly that the kid was probably starving. “Hey, I’m not going to hurt you,” he said again when the wolf tried to move away.

 

A loud cry filled his ears as the wolf’s body seemed to give up on him as he tried to wiggle away from Tony. He collapsed on the riverbank again, and the strength of the scent of blood filled Tony’s nose. “That’s it, kid. You’re coming with me. Helen and Bucky can probably fix you up,” he said before reaching out.

 

The wolf didn’t even try to protest anymore, and Tony could see how much effort it seemed he was putting into breathing. He shook his head and carefully picked the small wolf up into his arms, cautious of his hind leg. With his arms full of a wolf, he knew it was going to be harder to get across the river, but he’d just have to do it since he definitely wasn’t going to be getting any help from the nearly unconscious pup.

 

It took a lot of effort, but somehow - don’t ask him how - Tony managed to get them both onto the other side of the riverbank. “And now, the trek home…” he muttered to himself, realizing that there was no way he was going to be shifting on this trip.

  
  


It took a lot longer than usual to get back, what with being bipedal and having extra weight that really couldn’t be jostled around. After the one time he shifted the boy slightly and got a small whimper that caused his chest to ache, he tried not to ever move him much.

 

The cave was quickly coming into view, and Tony dropped the wall he had put up before. There was panic on the pack’s side since they could smell him and blood. “I need help,” he told them, and suddenly several heads were at the opening of the cave.

 

“What happened?” Steve called. The wolves around the mouth were quickly turning bipedal. Rhodey and Thor were already even climbing down to help Tony with the wolf in his arms.

 

“Don’t know. I went out to the woods. The kid was lying injured on the riverbank, bleeding from a bite on his hind leg. He’s skin and bone. I couldn’t leave him there.”

 

Steve gave a small nod and turned to call for their healers. Thor gently tried to take the pup from his arms, but the boy let out a loud, terrified whimper and seemed to press back into Tony. “Come on, kid. I can’t get you up into the cave on my own. Not after carrying you at least five miles.”

 

Another sad and pained whimper left him, and he pressed more into Tony again even though it seemed to cause his breathing to worsen. Suddenly, a petite redhead was climbing down the cliff and standing in front of them. “Hey, little one, can I take you?” Natasha asked with a tenderness reserved only for her and Clint’s daughter.

 

Brown eyes looked at her, and he shook his head, hiding again. Tony groaned before carefully adjusting the boy, holding him by the hips after setting his head on his shoulder. “We don’t have time for this. Just make sure I don’t fall,” he grumbled to the trio who all nodded.

 

He started carefully scaling the cliff, and he could hear the others under him. It took longer than it should have, but he somehow made it. Apparently, today was a day for odd miracles. Once they were back on solid ground, Tony and the boy were surrounded by the two resident healers.

 

“What happened?” Helen asked as she tried to get a good look at the boy who was still very much hiding against Tony.

 

“I don’t know. He got bit on the leg,” Tony said between deep, ragged breaths. Maybe he really was getting older…

 

“Is it infected?” Bucky asked.

 

“No idea.”

 

“Come quickly then,” Helen said as she gestured them towards the healer’s den. Natasha followed behind Tony, but other than that, no one else came. It was probably a good thing too as when Tony tried to set the kid down, he let out another whimper and lightly caught Tony’s hand in his mouth.

 

“I’m not a healer, kid. Helen and Bucky will take care of you, and Nat knows more about this than I do. You’re in good hands.” He offered the pup, petting the soft chocolate fur between the kid’s ears.

 

Another high-pitched whine was his response, but he did release Tony’s hand. The only alpha in the room gently pulled his hand back before looking at the two betas and the other omega. “Do you think you can fix it?” he asked Helen and Bucky. Natasha replaced him at the kid’s head, gently petting between his ears.

 

“I think so. It’s definitely broken, possibly infected but that’s easier to tell in human form.” Helen said as she continued to gather various herbs.

 

Bucky popped his head up by the boy. “Hi. I’m Bucky, another omega. Your leg is broken, sweetie, and it’ll be easier to set it while you shift if you can.” The wolf whined softly, hiding his nose against his own paw and looking up at the other omega. “Do you think you can shift when we tell you we’re ready?”

 

The wolf whined again, ears flat on his head, but he nodded slightly. Bucky smiled at him and lightly rubbed the boy’s ear. “Perfect. We’re gonna fix you up and then get some food in you, and then you can sleep, okay?”

 

That got him a slightly more enthusiastic nod. “I’ll get food then and get out of the way,” Tony said quickly, slipping out of the den before any protest could happen. He moved toward the center of their home only to find that the entire rest of the pack was already gathered there.

 

Loki was tucked under Thor’s arm with two little near black pups in his arms. Scott and Hope were both out of their den with Scott’s older daughter standing behind his legs and their new sable pup in Hope’s arms. Clint was holding his little blue shaded girl. Sam and Riley were standing beside Rhodey and Carol, both sets of twins held securely in their mother’s arms. Wanda was hiding behind Vis with their little golden boy in her arms, and Pietro was standing directly beside her protecting both his nephew and his sister. Stephen, Nick, and Maria were off to the side a bit, regarding the healer’s den curiously. Bruce looked like he was ready to run in if his mate called him for help, even though he was currently trying to hold onto two very squirmy seal-shaded pups. Steve was standing in the center of the room with two little boys at his feet and a fawn pup in his arms.

 

“What happened?” Bruce asked.

 

“God, can’t you people think of anything better to ask?” Tony growled, having already been asked the question  _ three  _ times.

 

Steve growled softly, and Tony’s attitude reduced slightly. “His right hind leg is broken from a bite, could be infected, but they don’t know yet. They’re going to try and fix it when the kid shifts, but I don’t know how that’s going to g-” He was cut off by a scream of pure agony. Everyone in the room shrank slightly as the sound echoed throughout the room.

 

Tony had already turned and was halfway back to the healer’s den before Pepper caught his arm. “You’ve done enough already, let Bucky and Helen do their work.” He looked down at her before looking back at the pack and letting out a small sigh.

 

“Fine. But the kid is tiny. He’s all bones, so I’m sure he’s starving. Can we give him something?” he asked, looking at Steve.

 

The tall blonde nodded quickly before setting the pup into the arms of one of his older sons. “Watch your brother,” he said softly. He gestured for Tony to follow him. “Everyone, go back to what you were doing. It might be a while before the kid is ready to see anyone.”

 

The small chorus of various conformations and slight nods had the little pack meeting officially over as the families all returned to what they were doing prior. Pepper didn’t follow the pair of alphas on their walk thankfully since Tony stayed right on the Chief’s heels. “Do you think he poses a threat?” Steve asked as they went towards the food storage.

 

“Hardly. He’s young. His wolf is almost my size. He’s tiny and weak.”

 

“Could be a ploy though. You found him on the riverbank?”

 

“Yes, but not on our side. He fought me, didn’t want my help, but he collapsed and couldn’t fight anymore, so I picked him up and brought him here.”

 

“You really should have said something, Tony,” Steve said, turning to look back at the man. There was worry clear in his eyes. “We thought you had gotten in a fight, and we really shouldn’t be opening up and taking in complete strangers with no background.”

 

“Steve, that’s how our pack got to be so big. We’ve always taken in people and merged packs. He’s a young and injured kid, we can’t just leave him to die on the edge of our territory just because we don’t know what’s going to happen.” Tony argued, standing straighter even though he was much shorter than the other man.

 

Steve stared at him for a moment, an odd look in his eye. “Why are you caring so much? I’m not saying what you did was wrong. I’m saying that a warning would have been nice. You’ve been very defensive since you came back,” he noted.

 

Tony frowned, relaxing slightly as he thought about it. He was being a bit oddly protective. He’d never really cared whenever they brought new people into their pack, and he was never very hands-on with any of the new members. “I… don’t know. I just don’t want to be responsible for the kid dying, I think.”

 

Steve continued to regard him oddly, but he nodded and didn’t press it further as they returned to walk a few more feet into the storage room. “Well, then I’m going to leave you in charge of him, alright? Until he can be proven to not be a threat, I need someone watching him.”

 

Tony nodded quickly before taking the large deer leg that Steve set in his hands as well as the small canteen of water. “Certainly, Chief,” he said before turning on his heel and beginning to walk back.

 

“Just be careful, Tony,” Steve said as his friend disappeared.

  
  


Tony peeked his head into the healer’s den. “I brought food and water,” he said by way of announcing himself. Natasha turned her head and nodded silently at him, so he took that as confirmation and slipped into the room. Helen and Bucky were still working on the kid’s legs, but Natasha had moved to be practically holding the kid in an odd form of a hug.

 

Setting the food and drink to the side, Tony walked over to the redheaded beta. “Want me to take over?” She looked up at him, eyes narrowing slightly in response.

 

“I could really use the help, Nat,” Bucky said around the odd tool held between his teeth. Natasha nodded and gently let go of the boy, and Tony was finally allowed to get a good look at him.

 

Lying on the makeshift table, a young, possibly teenaged boy was spread out. He looked up at the alpha that approached him, and the biggest set of doe-eyes that Tony has ever seen locked on his. Pain and fear still clouded those chocolate orbs, and tears had slipped past his lashes and down his cheeks leaving behind streaks of milky white skin. The rest of the boy’s face was covered in dirt and grime, and he had a bruise forming on his jaw.

 

More bruised littered their way down his neck and chest. All ugly shades of black, blue, or purple and in the shape of either paws or hands. The kid’s ribs protruded through his thin skin, and claw marks littered his sides.

 

Tony quickly looked away in favor of gently resting near the kid’s head. Small bony hands reached out to him, and he found himself with his arms wrapped around the boy’s shoulders. Those hands clutched tightly onto his forearms, and Tony buried his nose into the matted brown curls on top of the boy’s head.

 

“So, kid, got a name?” he asked, trying to distract the youth who was watching his own injuries being worked on with massive, scared eyes.

 

Those brown eyes looked up at him, and Tony gently nuzzled the boy’s cheek in a comforting manner. His head gently leaned into the alpha’s neck, resting there slightly. “Peter,” a very soft, very strained voice slipped from the boy’s lips. It was a voice smooth and sweet like honey, and Tony wondered what it would sound like not drowned in pain and fear.

 

“Tony,” he responded, lightly petting the bouncy curls. Peter nodded slightly and whimpered when Bucky cleaned a particularly deep wound. He pressed himself deeper into Tony’s neck, choking on a small sob.

 

“Shhh… I got you, kid. You’ll be better soon,” he said quietly, continuing to play with those curls as he glanced down at what the healers were doing. Peter’s broken leg now had a makeshift split tied to it, and it was covered in bandages. Apparently, his other leg had been torn up by a set of teeth too but not nearly as bad as the other. Bandages littered his skin to cover more marks that Tony hadn’t even known existed, and they still had a ways to go too, given that they hadn’t even touched his sides yet.

 

“Want me to do anything?” he asked.

 

“Keep him comfortable,” Bucky said quickly, wrapping another bandage around a portion of the now cleaned leg. “Maybe wash him up a bit if he’d like that. Nat can give you a wet cloth.”

 

Tony nodded and looked down at the boy. Peter sniffled and stayed practically hidden against him, but he didn’t object to anything. The alpha figured he might as well try and clean him up a bit. He nodded to Nat who handed him the cloth, and he started gently rubbing it against the boy’s chest and neck.

 

“So what happened to you?” he asked softly, focusing on being gentle as he wiped the dirt away and revealed more of the milky skin underneath.

 

Peter was quiet for a moment, letting out random small gasps of pain. “Someone attacked my family…” he finally said, a few more tears slipping down his cheeks. “My uncle tried to keep my aunt and me safe, but he got killed. My aunt told me to run, and I did, but they chased me. One of them tried to mount me, and I don’t even know how I got him off, but he caught my leg when I tried to run away.” He choked on another sob as a cry left his lips, trying to keep his legs still for the healers even as they currently caused his pain. “He bit and broke it, and the only reason I got away was that my aunt knocked into him. I ran as fast as I could, but I could hear her screaming…”

 

Tony held the boy closer as he let out a sob, hiding against the alpha’s neck. “I’m all alone now…” He cried openly into the tan skin of the other male, and Tony gently carded his fingers through his hair soothingly before glancing at the others.

 

Bucky was frowning and looked close to tears. Natasha had a fire in her eyes, and Helen held both pain and anger in her gaze. “Despicable bastards,” Natasha hissed.

 

“I agree,” Helen said with venom in her words.

 

“I’ll talk to Steve,” was all Bucky responded with. He was finally finished with Peter’s other leg, and he and the two beta females moved to start working on the scratches littering the boy’s torso.

 

Tony nodded at Bucky’s words. If anyone could convince Steve to do something, it was Bucky. They’d been sweethearts all their lives, never apart for more than a few hours, and everyone knew that Steve’s biggest weakness was his omega’s stubbornness.

 

The alpha returned his attention to the boy in his arms, shushing him softly before using the cloth to wipe away the remaining dirt on his face. Peter sniffled, but he never objected. Instead, he merely waited for Tony to finish before hiding himself against the alpha’s neck once more.

 

Tony returned to simply playing with the boy’s hair as the trio continued their work. It took a lot less time for them to finish the marks on Peter’s sides and chest, and once they were done, the boy slumped even more against the strong chest of the alpha.

 

“Alpha,” the very softly spoken and clearly exhausted word caused Tony’s heart to awkwardly skip a beat. He quickly pushed the thought away before looking down at the boy in his arms, who was shyly looking up at him. “Can… I have some?” he asked softly, pointing at the meat and water off to the side.

 

A crooked smile pulled at Tony’s lips, and he nodded quickly. “It’s for you, kid. Don’t eat too quickly though, or you’ll make yourself sick.” Peter nodded in return, and Natasha handed the canteen of water to Tony and the leg to Peter.

 

Tiny hands wrapped around the bone, and pale teeth sunk into the soft, smoked meat. A small moan left the boy’s lips as he got a taste of the deer meat, and Tony quickly pushed away any thoughts related to the sound.  _ The kid is clearly starving, _ he thought, watching as he tore into the meat.

 

At one point, Tony stole the leg from the boy and got a very loud and sad whine. “I told you to not eat too quickly or you’d make yourself sick. Take a minute to breathe, kid.”

 

Peter frowned and stared at the meat while licking his messy lips. “I’m sorry. I’m just so hungry…”

 

“I know, kid, but if you eat too much too quickly, you’ll get sick, and then it’s a waste.”

 

He got a small nod in return, and Peter hid against him while taking sips from the canteen that Tony held in front of him. The other three watched curiously, and Bucky very gently rested his hand on Peter’s arm. “Peter, when was the last time you ate?”

 

The boy looked back at him before thinking. “Uncle Ben gave me a rabbit a few days before he died.”

 

There was a collective look between the packmates, but Peter didn’t notice. “Alpha, can I have it back, please?” he said softly. Tony nodded and handed the meat back over, and this time, Peter did stop between bites to actually chew and breathe.

 

“Where is he going to stay?” Helen asked softly.

 

“Steve left me in charge of him. I hardly sleep in my own den, so I figured the kid could rest there. If you’re okay with that.” He quickly tacked on the end as he looked down at the boy. Peter looked up through his curly bangs and thick lashes, a bit of fat on his cheek.

 

“Would I be intruding?” he asked softly as Tony took the piece off the boy’s cheek. He quickly leaned in and stole the bite from the man’s fingers, happily eating before turning back to another fatty portion.

 

Tony ignored the odd stir  _ that  _ caused in his stomach before shrugging. “No one really stays there.”

 

“What about Pepper?” Natasha asked.

 

Tony shrugged. “What about it? We’re on a break again. She’s not going to be staying there.” The rest nodded, a bit uncomfortable as they looked down at the boy who was still contently eating deer meat and taking sips of water from the canteen Tony kept holding for him. “It’ll be more comfortable and private than in here, you know.”

 

“We know,” Bucky agreed quickly, “it’s just… What if he gets scared about being alone with an alpha? After everything that happened to him, I mean. Nothing against you, Tony.” Tony sighed and rolled his eyes.

 

“I’m not gonna do anything to the kid, and it seems I’m the one he’s most comfortable with. He practically tried to crawl into me when he saw Thor.”

 

Biting his lip, Bucky nodded slightly before ushering the other two out. “Leave them be. Peter’s been through enough.” The other two slipped out, and Bucky finished cleaning everything up as the boy polished off the meat on his bone.

 

“Tired?” Tony asked, watching those chocolate brown eyes quickly become half-lidded. Peter nodded and curled up a bit, and the alpha slid his arms under the boy and very carefully picked him up. The omega hissed when his broken leg was moved, but Tony quickly apologized and moved a bit slower.

 

Bucky watched them for a moment before capping the canteen and resting it around Tony’s neck. “Be careful with him and keep him warm. His body might go into a bit of shock now that he’s all patched up.” Tony nodded and began to move again when a hand rested on his shoulder. Looking back at the other omega, Bucky’s stormy-blue eyes locked onto his for a moment, and he could see the same odd look that his mate had given him before. “Just be careful, Tony. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets scared and thinks you’re the same as the ones that attacked him.”

 

Tony nodded back and looked down at the now sleeping boy. “I’m not going to hurt him, you know.”

 

Bucky offered him a crooked smile. “I know you would never do anything like that. I’m just warning you that he might be stronger than he looks if he gets scared enough.”

 

A small chuckle left the alpha, and he nodded before ducking his head in goodbye to the omega before turning and leaving the healer’s den. He walked through the main area towards his den, ignoring the hot glare he could feel on his back from Pepper. It was the last thing on his mind right now. Currently, all he could think about was getting this exhausted omega into a decent bed to sleep off the pain from his attack and healing.

 

Lying the boy down on the soft furs spread across his floor, Tony ignored the little flip his heart did when he saw that milky skin huddled up in his bed. The boy was a lot stronger than he looked because after he was set down, he refused to let go of Tony. The alpha tried to pull away but failed miserably, so he sighed and settled down.

 

“Might as well get a nap in if I’m stuck like this,” he muttered to himself before looking down at the mess of curls resting on his chest. He allowed his eyes to close and waited for sleep to take him. Surrounded by the scent of lilacs, it was the quickest he’s ever fallen asleep.


	2. The Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!  
> I've gotten a lot of love so far from this story, and I just hope that what I have planned out will be good for everyone! This story has changed a little bit to fit being a chapter fic better, but I think everything getting changed will help the story in the long run and will hopefully have you guys enjoying it even more!  
> This chapter is a little shorter, but hopefully you still enjoy!  
> Much love!
> 
> Updated: 12/1/2018

Tony stared up at the ceiling, humming softly. He looked off to the side at the small boy curled up and sleeping peacefully on the other side of the furs. Fighting a small smile, the alpha turned away before stifling a yawn. He had just woken up a bit ago, and he was considering going to get food for the two of them.  
  
There was a small noise next to him, and suddenly a warm body was pressed against his side again. He sighed softly as the kid made himself comfortable, and he gently reached out to play with those curls. After a moment, Tony allowed his eyes to close only for them to snap back open when he heard a noise outside the entrance to his den.  
  
He picked his head up just as Rhodey poked his head in. “Oh, you are awake. Good.” The man said as he walked through the entrance and sat beside his friend. “Brought you and the kid something to eat and some more water.”  
  
“Thanks, Rhodes,” Tony said with a lopsided grin. He took one of the offered deer legs and took a large bite, humming at the taste.  
  
“So…” Rhodey began. Tony glanced up at the man, pausing momentarily in his eating while raising a brow questioningly.  
  
“So?”  
  
“You look comfortable.” Rhodey pointedly looked down at the other alpha, and Tony fought down a small growl at the look.  
  
“Kid is clingy apparently.”  
  
“Uh-huh. And is that why your scent is changing?”  
  
Tony actually growled softly at the accusatory tone before the words dawned on him. “What do you mean changing?”  
  
Rhodey sighed softly, rubbing his dark fingers against his temple. “Your scent, it’s… different. Less wild.”  
  
Tony frowned and carefully untangled himself from the boy, who whimpered at the loss of body heat. He gently scratched the boy’s curls before a faint smile ghosted across his lips as the omega curled up in the spot he had vacated. When he glanced up and caught Rhodey’s gaze, his hand pulled away from the surprisingly soft curls and returned to his lap.  
  
“I’m not sure I’m following.”  
  
Rhodey sighed heavily before shifting to level the other alpha with his gaze again. “You know that scents only change when mating happens, don’t you?”  
  
“Of course I do,” Tony bristled. “But the kid and I have clearly not mated.”  
  
“You’re very close already, Tony-”  
  
“Why does everyone act like I can’t control myself? I found the kid dying on the riverbank, and everyone acts like I had alternative motives to bringing him here.”  
  
“Did you?” Rhodey asked.  
  
Tony nearly snarled his next word; “No. I brought the kid here because I couldn’t leave him to _die_ on the edge of our territory. Would you rather me leave a perfectly innocent kid to bleed out or starve?”  
  
Rhodey sighed softly. “You know no one would have wanted that, but did you even think about what he could do to the pack? What he could bring with him?”  
  
“He couldn’t even stand. What the hell could he do?”  
  
“Did you ever stop to think about _why_ he was bitten? If he did something or if someone was after him?” Rhodey pressed, his own temper flaring slightly. Of course, he was not unhappy that Tony had saved the kid’s life, but there were pups in the cave that needed to be protected. His own pups now too.  
  
Tony stopped for a moment, looking down at the two bandaged legs. “He said his family was attacked, and his uncle died trying to protect his aunt and him. His aunt is probably dead too since she ran into his attacker for him to get away.”  
  
“Okay, and the wolves that attacked his family, they could still be after him.”  
  
“I doubt it,” Tony said before taking another bite of his deer leg, having completely forgotten about it until then.  
  
“Tones, just because you don’t _think_ it’s likely, doesn't mean it can't still happen. He’s an unclaimed omega that’s young. Alphas and betas alike are going to come after him.”  
  
Tony frowned and looked down at the kid, seeing his small form curling up tighter into himself. He looked up when he felt his friend’s hand settle on his shoulder. “Tony,” Rhodey started, his tone had grown softer, worried.  
  
“Don’t,” Tony quickly cut him off. “I’m just looking out for the kid. He’s lost everything. He needs someone to make sure he’s alright.” He looked away from Rhodey’s gaze, trying to ignore the way his stomach flipped at the uncertain and sympathetic look he received.  
  
“Just be careful, Tones. Please.”  
  
Tony nodded slightly before looking down at the pale boy. “Hand me the canteen? It’s been a while since the kid last had anything to drink.” His hand was held out for the canteen that Rhodey had brought, and he made sure to keep his gaze on the boy instead of the knowing gaze of his best friend.  
  
He didn’t have any reason to help the kid except that he desperately needed help.  
  
  
  
It wasn’t until the middle of the night that something went wrong. Tony had awoken to a sudden pain on his chest, and he saw only a pair of wide, startled eyes before a deer bone was thrown at him. “Get away from me!”  
  
“Woah, kid, calm down,” Tony said after ducking away from the bone. The small figure curled up as much as possible, hiding all of the sensitive areas that he could. His chin was tucked to hide his throat, torso curled in to protect the tender flesh of his belly, even his broken leg was attempted to be hidden behind the other one. “Kid, I’m not going to hurt you…” Tony said gently as he moved slightly closer.  
  
“Get away from me!” he snapped again, a faint growl to his words.  
  
Tony backed away with his hands up. “Alright, alright.”  
  
“Where am I?” Peter asked, looking around the den quickly.  
  
“You’re in my den, kid. My Chief left you in my care, and you agreed to sleep in here as long as you weren’t going to bother anyone.”  
  
Peter paled and shook his head, tears filling his eyes. “No, no, I want to go home. I want to go home.”  
  
Tony frowned, gently leaning his head down to try and catch the boy’s eyes. “Do you… not remember?”  
  
The boy’s eyes glazed over as he looked towards the opening of Tony’s den, seeing the thick fur hide covering the mouth and blocking out the rest of the cave. “May!” he suddenly shouted before shooting up. Tony watched in panic as the boy took a step towards the mouth of the den before a cry left his lips as he collapsed to the ground.  
  
“Kid!” he said before quickly rushing over and trying to check Peter over.  
  
“Don’t touch me! Get away from me! I have to find May! I have to find her!” he screamed, lashing out and clawing at the alpha who tried desperately to hold him back.  
  
“Kid, stop it! You have a broken leg! You can’t walk! You’re just going to make it worse!”  
  
Peter squirmed and hit Tony square in the nose with the back of his head. The yelp from the alpha and the sudden looseness allowed him to wiggle away, and he kneeled by the mouth of the cave, staring wide-eyed at the other man. His breathing was ragged, and he continued staring at the other even as the tears began to slip down his cheeks. “I have to go… I have to find her… She’s all I have…”  
  
Tony frowned, checking to make sure his nose wasn’t broken before gently resting both hands on the floor. He kept his stance open and non-aggressive, but when he spoke, there was a slight whistle to his words thanks to his injured nose. “Kid, you can’t walk… You can’t. Your leg is broken, just recently splinted. If you walk on it, you’ll make it worse.”  
  
Peter shook his head, tears flying and landing in various places as he choked on a small sob. “I have to find her. I have to… She’s all I have. Mommy and Daddy died, and Uncle Ben and Aunt May took me in. I can’t just abandon her… She’s all I have. She’s _all_ I have.” The boy broke into violent sobs, body trembling as he hid his face in his hands and openly cried and let out his pain and fear.  
  
It was quickly becoming clear to Tony that this really was a kid that he was watching over. He carefully and slowly crawled forward, lightly resting his hand on the boy’s knee. Peter flinched away, a tiny hiccup cutting him off mid-sob. “Shh, kiddo, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m the one that saved you down at the river.” Peter’s eyes locked on his, and the pain and sorrow filling those chocolate orbs had Tony’s chest tightening painfully.  
  
“I remember…” the boy whispered before looking away, wrapping his arms around his torso.  
  
Tony nodded slightly before reaching out once more. When Peter flinched, he stopped, keeping his hand outstretched towards the boy. “I promise I’m not going to hurt you,” Tony said gently as he met those terrified and hesitant eyes again.  
  
Peter stared between his eyes and the outstretched hand before he lightly leaned forward and pushed his head into the warm palm. Tony’s fingers slid into the boy’s curls, and he soothingly stroked the soft hair. Once the alpha had gotten even the smallest hint of a rhythm, the boy broke into tears again.  
  
Strong arms wound their way around the small, shaking omega with one hand lightly running up and down the smooth skin of the boy’s back while the other stayed petting those curls. “She’s all I have… I have nothing without her. I have nothing… No home, no family, nothing… Mommy’s dead. Daddy’s dead. Uncle Ben is dead. What if she’s dead too? I’m all alone without her…” Tony listened to the words spoken between broken breaths and harsh sobs, and he couldn’t stop the tear or two that slipped down his own cheek at the clear pain in the boy’s words.  
  
“I’ll look for your aunt, kid. I can’t promise I’ll find her, but I’ll look for her, okay?” he whispered down at the boy in his arms once his sobs had quieted to small, painful whimpers.  
  
Those big eyes turned and looked up at him, and Tony found that it suddenly was a bit harder to breathe with such painfully hopeful eyes locked on his. “Really, alpha?” The words were so excruciatingly innocent spoken in that tone, and Tony could feel his own self-loathing rising as he thought of how those words would sound in a different scenario.  
  
He swallowed down any thoughts remotely not related to how this poor omega was suffered, and he nodded slightly. “Yeah, but you have to be good and stay here. You can’t be trying to get up and walk on your leg until Bucky or Helen says that it’s alright. Deal?”  
  
Those pretty curls flopped enthusiastically as Peter quickly nodded his head. “Deal,” he breathed, a watery smile crossing his lips. “I’ll be good, alpha.” Tony fought the flip his gut did at those words and forced a smile to his own face.  
  
“Good, now go back to sleep. You need all the rest you can get.”  
  
  
  
The next morning came with another surprise. Tony’s eyes opened after hearing more ruckus outside his den. “Yeah?” he called, voice hoarse and thick with sleep.  
  
Bucky’s head poked in, and he smiled. “Did I wake you?”  
  
Tony let out a deep, throaty grumble before resting his head back again down as the omega slipped inside his den. “I brought you and Peter food and wate- Well you look comfy,” Bucky said, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips.  
  
The alpha glanced down at his chest to see the small omega curled closely up against his side, head resting on Tony’s chest with his ear directly over the oddly shaped scar over his heart. A bit of drool was even dried on the corner of his lips, and the omega was letting out the softest and cutest little snores Tony had ever heard. “He’s clingy, what can I say?” Tony responded, slight whistle still in his words.  
  
Bucky frowned before walking closer, leaning down to look at the man. “Jesus, did you ram your head into the stone?”  
  
“That bad, huh?” he said before slowly propping himself up on his elbows. “Kid freaked out last night. Headbutted me on accident. At least it better have been an accident.”  
  
Bucky broke into a laugh, but he quickly quieted down when Tony leveled him with a glare and Peter made a small noise in his sleep. His smile stayed wide as he crouched down and looked at the alpha, quickly and carefully examining his nose. “You got lucky, it’s just bruised and not broken. You should be fine in a day or two.”  
  
Tony nodded and rested his head back down, sighing heavily. “He wants to find his aunt…”  
  
Bucky frowned, sitting cross-legged beside the man. “She’s probably dead…” he said softly, glancing at the still sleeping boy.  
  
“I know, but he lost it. Said his parents died before, all he had was his aunt and uncle. Said he had nothing if she’s gone.”  
  
The frown on Bucky’s face deepened, and he nodded slightly, reaching out and lightly running his fingers through Peter’s curls as if the boy was one of his own pups. “He’s still just a pup…”  
  
Tony sighed, “Trust me, I know. Called his parents Mommy and Daddy last night.”  
  
Bucky huffed softly. “Maybe he’s younger than we thought…”  
  
The two were quiet for a few moments as they both watched the boy sleep before Tony spoke again. “I promised the kid I’d go look for his aunt…”  
  
“Tony, you shouldn’t have done that,” Bucky frowned. “You don’t know her or where they’re from or her scent or anything.”  
  
“I know, I know, but… The kid honestly tried to walk out of here on his broken leg. He wouldn’t stop. He clawed me up pretty good when I tried to hold him back, and I think he even might have messed his leg up more when he fell. He just… wouldn’t stop. He kept crying and screaming and begging me to let him go look for her. It was either me or the kid, and we both know he’d never make it.”  
  
Bucky looked down at the boy again, seeing the little furrow that had settled between his brows and reaching out to soothe it away with his thumb. “Okay… But you have to go with someone. I don’t care who, and you need to learn as much as you can from him before you go.”  
  
Tony nodded at the Chief’s mate. It was times like this that it was easy to see how the two of them worked so well together. For an omega, Bucky wasn’t against bossing around those of higher rank than him. “Will you watch him while I’m gone? Just make sure he’s eating and all that.”  
  
Bucky gave him a look as if he was the stupidest being on the earth before scoffing; “When did you start caring so much?”  
  
Tony huffed back and rolled his eyes. “Just watch the kid, will ya?”  
  
“Of course, I’ll watch him. You didn’t have to ask.” Bucky said, giving Tony that odd look again. The alpha merely closed his eyes and ignored the look, gently rubbing the boy’s back.  
  
“Yeah, alright. I’ll come out in a bit after the kid’s eaten and told me some more about his aunt.”  
  
Bucky nodded and let out a yawn before standing gracefully and walking towards the mouth of the den. “I’ll alert Steve then of your plans. I’ll see you in a bit, Tony.”  
  
  
  
After about an hour, Peter finally started to stir, yawning widely and truthfully quite adorably. “Finally awake, kiddo?” Tony asked, safely out of the reach of the boy just in case he had another freak-out moment.  
  
Peter flushed lightly but nodded. “Yeah…” he mumbled.  
  
Tony nodded and moved a bit closer. “Bucky brought you something to eat and some water.”  
  
The omega nodded and slowly sat himself up before flushing to the roots of his hair as he realized that he was completely exposed to the other man. “C-C-Can… Can I have something to…” he trailed off, curling up shyly.  
  
Tony chuckled and nodded before handing the boy a spare fur from off to the side. Peter quickly covered his lap and legs, holding the spare portion of the hide up to hide at least some of his bare chest. Tony even was kind enough to rest a fur in his own lap to cover his indecency - not that anyone in the pack cared about nakedness - and fought a smirk when he saw how red the kid turned when he realized. 

  
“Th-Thanks…” Peter said softly before perking up when a rabbit was set in his lap as well as a canteen of water.  
  
He quickly ripped a leg from the rabbit and began to tear into the flesh. Tony watched silently as the kid devoured the food in front of him, not speaking a word until the boy had nearly finished his entire meal. “So how are you feeling?” Tony asked.  
  
Peter glanced up from under his curls. “I’m okay, alpha.”  
  
Tony hummed softly; “That’s good. Are you in any pain?”  
  
A small shake of the head had Tony smiling to himself. It was quiet for another moment; “How are you, alpha?”  
  
“I’m alright, kid,” the alpha replied with a shrug.  
  
Peter looked down, nervously picking the scraps of meat clean from the rabbit’s rib cage silently. It was quiet for a moment, but when Peter raised his head, he saw the odd, dark bruise around the other man’s nose and creeping up to his eyes. “Oh, my god… Did I do that?” he whispered, paling considerably.  
  
Tony shrugged slightly. “It’s no big deal,” he said, whistle coming out again as he struggled to breathe through his nose. “You were scared, and it was an accident.”  
  
“I’m so sorry!!” Peter cried, eyes shining with unshed tears.  
  
“Kid, don’t cry, it’s alright. I know why you were upset. Just don’t worry about it.” Tony quickly tried to defuse the emotionally charged omega, lightly patting the kid’s head. Peter sniffled loudly and looked down at his lap, awkward and tense silence filling the space between the two. “Well, I’m going to leave soon to go look for your aunt, so you’ll be left here, and Bucky will come to check on you, okay?” Tony said to break the silence hanging in the air.  
  
Peter chewed on his bottom lip. “Bucky is the omega, right?” he asked softly. When Tony nodded, the boy visibly relaxed. “Is there anything I can do to help?”  
  
“I need to know everything you can tell me about your aunt. Her appearance, her scent, something to help her realize it’s you that sent us. Everything.”  
  
Peter perked up again, becoming fully alert as he quickly began to tell Tony everything about his beloved aunt. Apparently, May was a young omega - “I think she’s in her late thirties?” - with long brown hair, a thin and small frame, and she smelled almost exactly like geraniums and cinnamon. Peter had even explained the place that they lived in comparison to where they were currently (to the best of his knowledge) since his family was attacked at their home.  
  
Tony had taken in every bit of information and cataloged it for future use before nodding. “Great. Now I need something to tell her in case I need to prove that you’re the one that sent me.”  
  
The omega chewed on his bottom lip as he thought for a moment. Tony rested his chin on his knee as he waited, watching the boy and cataloging his movements. Seemed that Peter, when nervous, tended to chew on things; be it his fingers, nails, bones, or his lip. The alpha was so distracted studying the boy that he fought hard not to jump when he started talking again.  
  
“My mom’s name was Mary, and my Dad was Richard. Uncle Ben was his brother, and he met Aunt May when she was my age. They use to hate each other, but he saved her from an attacking alpha, and that changed things between them.”  
  
Tony nodded and took in the information of the little story before his brain halted on part of the information. “How old are you…?” he asked, and when the boy looked at him shyly, he quickly played it off. “In case she asks me, of course.”  
  
Peter nodded and chewed his lip again. “Fifteen…”  
  
 _Dear God…_ Tony thought as he struggled not to react. “Okay, thank you for telling me what you did. I’ll probably be heading out real soon then.”  
  
The boy nodded eagerly, smiling widely as that same innocent hope filled his eyes. “Thank you, alpha.”  
  
  
  
It was about an hour later when Tony said goodbye to Peter and left the den. The boy had turned into a nervous mess, constantly picking at the furs that he laid on or hid under while practically chewing through his bottom lip. As much as he didn’t want to abandon the kid, Peter’s anxiety was getting Tony worked up.  
  
He walked into the main portion of the cave where a decent amount of the pack was conversing. He nodded at Hope and Wanda as they greeted him before heading right to the mouth of the cave where Vision and Steve were standing.  
  
“Are you sure about this, Tony?” Steve asked.  
  
“Yeah, it’ll be like the old days, huh, Vis?” Tony asked, glancing at the lithe and silent blonde man. Truth be told, it was Tony that had found Vision a few years back and brought him to join their pack. Vision had been running from his crazy ex-pack after they had all lost their minds from drinking poisoned water. Thankfully, the younger man hadn’t had the water and was spared the fate of his old packmates, and he was forever grateful and fiercely devoted to helping the man that saved him and gave him everything he had today.  
  
“Of course, sir,” Vision had responded, the faintest quirk of a smile at the corner of his lips.  
  
Tony grinned before turning to Steve. “It’s only a day or two run from here based on the rough idea the kid gave me.”  
  
Steve nodded; “Be careful but quick.”  
  
Tony nodded back before glancing to Vision who also agreed. The two alphas shifted to their wolf forms and began the climb down the cliff edge. _Tony, whatever happens… Be careful._  Steve’s voice flooded into Tony’s thoughts, and he let out a small chuff before breaking into a sprint with Vision.  
  
 _Certainly, Chief._


	3. The Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!  
> Hopefully this answers any questions you have, and I hope that this chapter is alright in comparison to the others!  
> Much love!!
> 
> Updated: 12/1/2018

It was a day and a half later when they arrived in an area that smelled like a hidden flower meadow. Lilacs, geraniums, even faint jasmine filled their noses as well as the strong scent of eucalyptus and lemon.  
  
_Go right, I’ll go left,_ Tony told Vision who gave a small nod before following the order. The two walked carefully around the edge of the territory, looking for any signs of danger or even life. For the longest time, neither saw anything, but then Vision’s forever leveled voice slipped into Tony’s thoughts.  
  
_Sir, I believe I found the boy’s uncle…_  
  
_I’ll be right there._ Tony had returned before rushing to Vision’s side. When he came towards the light, near-white haired wolf, fur quickly receded into pale skin. Tony followed suit, returning to his own bipedal form before taking the last few steps towards the other alpha.  
  
Lying on the ground in a misshapen lump was a massive, all black wolf. The wolf’s limbs were pointing in odd angles, and Tony, upon gently using his foot to toe at the large hind leg, got a large whiff of stale copper and decay.  
  
“I don’t know if we can bring him back, sir,” Vision said softly, examining the male and seeing how his body seemed to be in a fragile state now that it was beginning to deteriorate.  
  
“We’ll have to ask Steve. Ask him while I see if I can find anything on the aunt,” Tony said before slipping away from the pair. A sudden faint smell of lilacs and geraniums filled his nose, and he followed the scent as best as he could through the dense forest.  
  
It was about a mile or two out when the scent began to strengthen, and Tony stumbled into an oddly open portion of the forest. A few trees had fallen, and he could see large tracks in the soft dirt. Footprints and paws all in varying sizes littered the ground, and Tony saw claw marks in some of the bark of the trees.  
  
A sudden sick feeling twisted in his gut as he stepped deeper into the clearing, and then… he saw it.  
  
There was a section of the ground covered in claw marks as well more tracks than any other portion, but what made him stop was the odd shaped lump of a print. It looked like the shape of a small wolf, but where the feet should have been were the deepest set of claw marks in the entire clearing. “Peter…” Tony said softly to himself as he crouched down.  
  
Lilacs lingered faintly in the area, and there was even a twinge of copper, and Tony knew instantly that this is where the boy was attacked. He could practically see it as he stared at the spot, the small chocolate wolf fighting desperately to get away from an attacker twice his size. His claws digging into the earth to get traction as he tried to buck the man off.  
  
He could see where Peter had managed to slip away, but it was only inches, and the deeper drag marks on the ground he could only assume where made by the boy being brought back to the alpha male once his leg had been caught. It made Tony fight the urge to be sick.  
  
Stepping away from the deep imprints, Tony wandered around, looking for the signs of the boy’s aunt. There was nothing except a faint scent for several yards, but then he saw something. On the edge of the treeline was a clump of large, pale brown fur.  
  
When Tony approached, the scent of geraniums, cinnamon, and blood filled his nose. It was only a small chunk of the woman’s fur, but the alpha knew instantly that the woman couldn’t have possibly survived. It only took a few minutes for him to find what appeared to be a small grave, and he curiously studied it with the small hide in his hand.  
  
Someone had been buried here, and he couldn’t think of who it could possibly be beside Peter’s aunt. He did carefully move some of the dirt though until he saw the streaks of long, chocolate brown hair so much like Peter’s own. He frowned and quickly returned the dirt, whispering an apology to the grave.  
  
_Vis, I found his aunt. Someone buried her already._  
  
_Did they, sir? That’s odd._ Tony couldn’t help but agree to the idea. _Chief does not think it is wise to bring his uncle back in his current condition, do you wish for me to bring him to you so that we can keep them together?_ __  
  
_Wonderful idea, Vis. Let me know if you need help. I’ll start digging._  
  
With that, Tony set the small piece of hide on the ground close to the grave before beginning to dig beside where Peter’s aunt was clearly buried. It was odd that she would be already buried, but someone had taken the time and care to make her a true grave, and Tony felt it wrong to remove her from her home area.  
  
Maybe one of the sick bastards that did this to Peter’s family felt some odd sense of remorse. Unlikely, but possible.  
  
Vision arrived a few moments later, arms full of the large wolf. He helped Tony with the last of the grave before together they placed the wolf beside his mate and began to fill the hole. “I find it hard to believe that the young omega managed to get away, but I am glad that he was successful,” Vision said softly once the last of the black fur was completely covered in soft dirt.  
  
“I do too, but it’s a good thing. I have no idea how he made it all the way to us, but the kid’s a lot stronger than he looks…” Tony agreed before standing and looking down at the two graves, a sadness filling him as he took in the two lives ended much too soon.  
  
“I can see that. Oh, and sir, I found this when I stumbled upon their den making my way here. I believe it belonged to the boy,” Vision said before handing over something that Tony hadn’t even noticed him holding.  
  
It was a small bear made from various pieces of hides and filled with something that kept it still slightly malleable to the touch. It smelled like lilacs, geraniums, and eucalyptus: all the scents of Peter’s home. He frowned down at the small toy, able to see the tender care that a child would have with a precious stuffed toy from loved ones, and he held it close as he picked up the small piece of fur that had been torn from May’s body as well as the small bit of black that he clipped from Ben.  
  
“Let’s go home, Vis… I have a lot to tell the kid…”  
  
  
  
The trip home was a lot quicker than the trip there. It was mostly silent, and surprisingly, the pair made it in just a few hours into the fourth day of their departure. Steve met them at the front, frowning. “Buck has been checking on him. Said his injuries are doing okay and that he’s eating, but he’s anxious. Keeps asking about you.”  
  
Tony nodded and sighed softly. “We buried his uncle next to his aunt. I don’t know who buried her or why they didn’t bury him, but they were a few miles apart on opposite sides of their cave,” he said softly.  
  
Steve nodded and hummed softly. “Probably was just someone feeling guilty or someone who didn’t know where he was.” The small group nodded before Vision excused himself to return to his mate and child’s side. Tony was heading towards his own den where Peter was still hidden when Steve caught his elbow lightly. “The kid has… been really… off the past few days. Not that we’ve seen much of him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets really worked up.”  
  
With a frown, Tony nodded again. “I have to tell him the only family he has is dead… I’m not really expecting smiles.”  
  
“I mean… Bucky told me that he almost broke your nose. He’s been really anxious and worked up, even been crying a lot…” A crestfallen look crossed over Steve’s face, and Tony couldn’t deny that he looked every bit the father he actually was in that moment.  
  
“It might not be pretty. In fact, I doubt it will be, but I’ll do what I can to help the kid.” Tony said, lightly bumping his shoulder against Steve’s before walking towards his den again.  
  
“You know…” Steve started softly, catching Tony’s attention once more and causing him to turn and look back at him, “I’ve always known you really care, but it’s nice seeing you express it more openly… Maybe you can really help this kid.”  
  
Tony felt an odd weight in his stomach as he thought about the man’s words. “I really hope I can…”  
  
  
  
After their conversation, Tony had slipped into his den to see the small body of the young omega curled up on his furs. A few of them had been moved around slightly, and there was a small loincloth type of garment around the boy’s small hips.  
  
When Tony came deeper into the room, kneeling down beside the boy, he was surprised to see sleepy chocolate eyes opening. “May?” the small, tired voice asked.  
  
A pain wrapped itself around Tony’s heart as he gently reached out to touch the boy’s curls. “It’s me, kid. Tony.”  
  
Those sleepy eyes blinked slowly before beginning to lose their exhausted haze. “Alpha…?”  
  
“That’s me,” Tony said softly, sitting down fully and resting the boy’s bear behind his knee.  
  
The movement seemed to wake Peter up fully, and the small youth pushed himself up, a smile covering his face. “Did you find her? I can smell her. You must have found her! Where is she?” he asked excitedly.  
  
Tony frowned as he looked down at the clearly excited boy, and he reached out to lightly touch Peter’s shoulder. “Peter…”  
  
The boy frowned at the change in the man’s tone, his brain hearing emotions that he couldn’t even begin to think about: pain, sadness, sympathy. “No… No… You found her, right? You found her, didn’t you, alpha? She’s okay, right?” he said quickly, feeling the tears beginning to pool behind his eyes again. May couldn’t be dead. She couldn’t be. She was the only family he had.  
  
Tony grabbed something that Peter couldn’t see, and the furrow between his brows deepened. Rough, tan hands moved and set something down, and the boy dropped his gaze before a pained sob ripped its way out of his throat.  
  
His bear.  
  
The bear his mother had made for him before he was born was sitting on the ground, and a small piece of light brown fur was resting on its stomach as well as an even smaller bit of black. Geraniums and eucalyptus filled his nose as tears fell from his eyes in rivers.  
  
“No, no… She’s not dead. She can’t be…” he whispered over and over to himself as his bony hands pulled the treasured toy into his arms.  
  
“I’m sorry, Peter… When I got there, she was alread-”  
  
“No!” the boy screamed, body quivering with the strength of his heartbreak and anger. “No! She’s not dead! She’s __not! She wouldn’t have left me alone! She never would have left me without anyone!”  
  
Tony frowned and tried to comfort the boy by resting his hand on his head, but Peter lashed out again, swatting his hand away. “Kid, listen. When we got there-”  
  
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I’m not listening! It’s not true! This is all just a dream, a nightmare!” Peter sobbed hysterically, clutching the tiny bear against his chest in small bony arms. “When I wake up, they’ll be fine. They’ll be here!”  
  
“Peter,” Tony whispered, reaching for the boy again. This time Peter practically fell into his arms, openly sobbing against the alpha’s chest as he clung to the only remnants of his family.  
  
“It’s just a nightmare… A bad dream… They’ll be here when I wake up… They’re alive…” he whispered, more croaked between sobs and broken breaths, and Tony merely held the boy tight, running his fingers through those curls as he offered the boy the only thing he could: himself.  
  
  
  
Tony barely slept that night. Peter had cried for what seemed like hours until his body finally succumbed to exhaustion and he fell into a hopefully dreamless sleep. The alpha had remained awake, however, carefully moving the boy until he was in a more comfortable position. He held him throughout the night, gently shushing the boy whenever Peter whimpered or cried out in his sleep.  
  
It was exhausting, but eventually, Peter really did quiet down, clutching his bear so hard he was almost white-knuckled. His whimpers stopped, and the tears eventually dried on Tony’s chest and Peter’s cheeks when they stopped falling. Only when he knew the boy was no longer currently suffering even in his sleep did Tony allow himself to drift off.  
  
It felt as soon as his eyes had closed that they were opening again.  
  
Noise alerted Tony to someone outside his den, and he cracked open his eyes just in time to see Bucky slip in and leave food for them both. He gave the omega a small wave, and he received a crooked smile before he was gone.  
  
Wanting to return to sleep, Tony closed his eyes only to once again open them as Peter shifted and let out a pained whimper. “Shhh, kid, I’m here,” he whispered softly, petting back the boy’s bangs.  
  
Chocolate orbs opened once more, clouded with sleep. “Alpha?”  
  
“Yeah… it’s me,” the mentioned male responded, nervous as to what the other’s reaction would be.  
  
A small sniffle was heard, and those eyes darkened as a lone tear slid down his cheek. “It wasn’t a dream… Was it, alpha?”  
  
Tony’s heart tightened again, and he pulled the boy a bit closer, burying his nose in those curls. “I’m sorry…”  
  
Wetness one again covered Tony’s chest, and he held the boy as he cried, whispering what he hoped were soothing words into his hair as the omega grieved over his lost family. Tears of his own slid down his cheeks, but the alpha said nothing about his own pain; the pain he couldn’t even begin to understand nor did he have any desire to.


	4. The Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!  
> I'm sorry this is so much later, and I totally ruined the pattern I was going for, but I was really busy for a bit. I'm back now though!  
> I hope you enjoy this as we finally get to meet the entire pack.  
> Much love, guys!! <3
> 
> Updated: 12/1/2018

Peter had lost himself in his grief the days following finding out the truth of his family. He barely was eating, only did when Tony would feed him, and he took small sips of water when the alpha practically begged him. His bear never left his arms, and he spent his time mostly curled up either staring at the wall reminiscing or sleeping. He’d run out of tears after the first day of his near-constant sobbing.  
  
Tony had tried to get the boy to open up, to talk or anything, but Peter was too tired. He didn’t have the energy for anything. He wished the man had simply left him to die on the riverbank especially now that his family was entirely gone.  
  
One night, he finally confided that thought to the alpha and had been surprised by the reaction he received. Tony had growled at him, eyes shining in the faint light from the near constant fire he kept in his den, as he told Peter that he did not share his wishes.  
  
“I can’t really begin to understand how you feel, kid, but I can’t just let you die. You don’t deserve that.”  
  
“I have nowhere to go,” Peter had muttered, taken aback by the man’s words. “I’m alone now.”  
  
Another soft growl left Tony lips. “You’re not alone, kid.”  
  
“Yes, I am.”  
  
“No, you’re not. I’m right here, kid. You’re not alone.”  
  
Peter had frowned, suddenly feeling his eyes prickling with more tears. “That’s different, and you know it. You’re not my family. You don’t care.”  
  
“I might not be your family, but I don’t want you to die,” Tony huffed. “If I didn’t care, you would have been left on that riverbank. I wouldn’t have gone to look for your aunt. I wouldn’t sit here with you and make you eat multiple times a day if I didn’t care.”  
  
Growing quiet, Peter looked down at his shaking hands and the bear held still in them. He hadn’t ever truly thought about it that way. Maybe in his grief, he was missing the kindness a stranger had offered him. He glanced up at Tony from under his bangs, and he bit his lip nervously.  
  
The alpha had been nothing but kind to him: feeding him, keeping him warm, giving up his space, looking for his family. All he ever did was cry and cause the man more grief. “I’m sorry…”  
  
Tony sighed heavily before reaching out, resting his hands over Peter’s shaking ones. “I’m not asking you to apologize. I’m not asking you to not grieve. I don’t want you to just hold everything in. I just don’t want you wishing for death, kid. There are good people still in the world that care, you know.”  
  
Peter nodded and shifted, scooting closer to the alpha and tucking his head under the man’s chin and pressing his nose against his collarbone. He felt like a child as he wound his arms around the clearly older alpha, but he couldn’t lie to himself and say that the man hadn’t offered him a kindness and comfort that he truly needed at this moment.  
  
Strong arms wrapped around his small body, and he felt a safeness that had only ever come from being with his family. _Maybe not everything is horrible…_ he thought to himself as he tried to be grateful for the acts of kindness that had been shown to him instead of focusing solely on what he had lost.  
  
“I…” he started but quieted instantly when rough fingers began carding through his hair soothingly.  
  
“Shh, kid, don’t apologize. There’s nothing to apologize for, just don’t… waste their sacrifice,” he said softly.  
  
Peter fought the small wave of emotions that crashed into him at that. The words stung, truly cut like a knife, but Tony was right. His aunt and uncle had died protecting him. He needed to honor their sacrifice by living and cherishing the memories he had of them.  
  
“Thank you, alpha,” he whispered, small body tucked away against the strong build of the other.  
  
“Don’t thank me, kid.”  
  
  
  
After their talk, Peter started to open up again. He didn’t stay sleeping all day or staring at nothing. He would engage with the alpha, who occupied himself with wood carving while remaining in the den, and was trying to learn more about everything.  
  
Tony was pretty open with what he told the kid, not finding any reason to lie to the innocent boy. The omega started with silly questions, and the alpha distinctly remembered laughing outright when the boy shyly had asked him what his favorite color was.  
  
 _“Don’t laugh at me…” the boy had pouted, cheeks turning pink._ _  
_ _  
_ _Tony chuckled and ruffled those messy curls. “I’m not laughing at you.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“Sure seems like it,” Peter grumbled._ _  
_ _  
_ _The alpha had smiled widely, wider than the youth had ever seen before, and his own blush worsened as the man shrugged. “Red, but not too bright, like the color of a rose.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _The warm smile and adorable, pink blush he had received in response to his answer almost made him want to change it to pink (dear god, what was wrong with him?), but then Peter had very softly spoken his own answer; “Blue, like the midnight sky.”_  
  
There was still bad days of course. Sometimes Peter would be telling a story and suddenly get that far away look in his eyes that Tony was beginning to become painfully familiar with. On those days, Tony would pull the small omega into his arms and tell him some of the stupidest, funniest stories he could think of - anything to make the boy smile.  
  
Sometimes even that didn’t work.  
  
On the really bad days, Tony would simply hold Peter, listening to any information the boy felt like sharing. He’d play with his hair, rub his back, massage his still sore muscles, feed him, anything that Peter needed.  
  
There was one day that was worse than any other though.  
  
It had started on a good day. Peter had awoken and been pretty happy for all things considering. He’d spent the morning lying on Tony’s chest and asking the alpha about his life before joining his current pack. Tony had told him some of the stories from his youth that had to do with meeting Rhodey and Pepper.  
  
Peter was happy as could be the entire morning, and since he was doing so well, he practically pushed Tony out of the den to go enjoy a run with some of the other alphas. It was only on the good days that Tony allowed himself to leave Peter’s side longer than to grab them some food or for the healers to check Peter’s wounds.  
  
Given that there wasn’t much to do, Peter decided to take a small nap. Turned out that was a mistake. He had one of the worst nightmares he had ever had. It was different than normal. Instead of replaying what happened with his family, he saw Tony being mauled. Saw that only living person that seemed to care for him being killed in front of him.  
  
Peter awoke with a scream, tears already running down his face as he looked around for the man. There was nothing. No one. The omega was alone, surrounded by Tony’s scent coupled with the fainter scents of his aunt and uncle, and he couldn’t stop his sobs. Curling himself into a ball, Peter cried and cried and cried. He clung desperately to the furs that smelled of the earth after a rainstorm and sandalwood: Tony.  
  
His heart ached, and no matter what he tried to rationalize, his brain could only tell him one thing. Tony was dead. The only person that cared for him now was dead. Had been slaughtered trying to protect him just like his aunt and uncle.  
  
It felt like he cried for hours before a warm presence was with him. He looked up through watery lashes to see a panting and flushed Tony standing near his feet, and a sob harder than any of the others ripped through him as he reached out to the man. “Alpha,” he sobbed.  
  
Suddenly the small omega was wrapped up in a pair of warm and strong arms, and he curled himself as small as possible while clinging desperately to the man. “Alpha.”  
  
“Shh, little one, I’m here,” the smooth baritone sent a calmness through the small omega, but he still clung almost painfully hard.  
  
“You weren’t here,” Peter hiccupped, burying his face against the alpha’s pulse point and the scent gland on his neck. “You were dead. You weren’t here.”  
  
Tony merely rocked the boy in his arms, trying to quietly shush him as he wiped away his tears. “I’m sorry, Peter. I’m here now. It was just a nightmare. I’m here. I’m alive, I promise,” he told him over and over.  
  
Peter argued and argued until he finally slowed his sobbing and began to settle down as he practically bathed in Tony’s scent and warmth. He was still tucked against the man, their bodies slotted together almost like matching puzzle pieces.  
  
When the sobbing stopped and was reduced to only sniffles and the occasional hiccup, Peter looked up at the man. “Are you really here?” he whimpered.  
  
Tony nodded and cupped the boy’s cheek, resting their foreheads and noses together. “Bucky said he heard you crying, so I came back as quick as I could.”  
  
The omega nodded slightly, rubbing his nose lightly against the alpha’s. A warmth bloomed in his chest, but he swallowed it down as he hugged the man tightly. Nothing was said for several minutes as they merely shared each other’s warmth. Tony moved eventually, finding it too difficult to be in such an intimate position with the boy, and his scruffy cheek rubbed against Peter’s soft one as he went to nuzzle his ear.  
  
A small, shaky giggle left Peter’s lips, and he hugged Tony tighter. “I’m not going anywhere, kid. I’m not leaving you.” Tony said softly, finding the soft spot behind Peter’s ear and nuzzling it in what he hoped was a comforting manner.  
  
The giggle seemed to grow slightly more stable as the still frail boy hugged Tony as tight as he could. For once since he woke up from his nap, Peter was beginning to settle and shake off his discomfort, his fear. He was playing with the hair on the back of the alpha’s neck, small legs wrapping around the man’s waist as best as they could with one still in a splint. “Promise?” he said softly, pulling back slightly so that chocolate eyes locked on amber.  
  
Given how close they were and how Peter’s eyes were on Tony’s, he missed the slight bob of the alpha’s throat as he found his voice again. “Promise.”  
  
  
  
The more time the pair spent together, the deeper the questions got, and the harder Tony was trying to hide any rising affection for the boy. Peter had asked about Tony's own family, about the pack, about the funny-shaped scar over his heart, about his mate (well, lack thereof, Tony had informed him), and many other things. They were beginning to truly understand each other, but that didn’t stop the boredom from eating away at the youth.  
  
“Would… Is it okay for me to meet the rest of the pack?” Peter asked shyly about two or three weeks after Tony had returned from his trip to find his family.  
  
The alpha turned to look at him from his place a few feet over and shifted the fur in his lap. He had started to cover himself once Peter admitted how shy it made him since he and his family always tended to cover up. “I don’t see why not. Bucky certainly would be happy to see you up and out, but are you sure you can make it?”  
  
Peter chewed on his bottom lip and hummed softly. “I think so… I really want to try.”  
  
Nodding, Tony moved towards the smaller male. “Do you want me to carry you?”  
  
“Please,” Peter said while pushing himself up with a shy smile. Tony nodded and pulled the boy into his arms. Bucky and Helen still had not given Peter permission to walk or put weight on his leg, so it went without truly saying that the omega wasn’t going to be leaving the den without help.  
  
The pair walked slowly towards the center of the caves - well one walked and one quietly talked the other’s ear off - where the lively sounds of the others grew louder with each step. “Is it dinnertime?” Peter asked softly, biting his bottom lip roughly in a sudden wave of nervousness.  
  
“I believe so. Everyone should be there,” Tony said softly. Peter nodded and fought a small whimper as they took a few more steps, but the alpha, of course, noticed how tense the boy had become. It was only a minute more before everyone could be seen, and Tony called out to the pack. “Got room for two more?”  
  
Suddenly every head turned in their direction, and Peter shyly hid his face against Tony’s shoulder. He’s heard a lot about all the members of the pack, but he’s only met a handful of them at max. There had to be at least twenty people here…  
  
“Peter!” Bucky chirped, standing up and coming over to the two. “How are you?”  
  
Tony walked towards the healthy omega, grateful for his help as they got Peter to sit on a small rock that acted as a seat around the large fire. “I’m okay. I wanted to come out and meet everyone…” he added shyly, flushing as he lightly clung to Tony’s shoulder for support.  
  
Bucky quickly sat down beside him, smiling widely before flicking his slightly long bangs out of his eyes. “I’m glad you’re feeling well enough to come to see everyone.” Peter nodded shyly before looking around as Bucky quickly began pointing out people.  
  
The younger omega wasn’t exactly able to keep up, especially since Tony slipped away to talk to some of the other alphas and even help roast some of the meat for tonight. Peter kept glancing over to the man, smiling to himself when he’d see Tony relaxing or smiling back at him. The man was much more in his element out here, and the omega was happy to see a new side of him.  
  
Peter definitely tried to keep up with the names and meeting some of the other members of the pack though, but he was thoroughly distracted when a small pup came up to him. “Oh, aren’t you adorable?” he cooed before scooping up the little fawn puppy.  
  
Bucky chuckled softly. “This is Samuel, we usually just call him Sammy.” The small pup merely let out a big yawn before curling up in Peter’s arms. The younger omega practically melted at the sight, leaning down and nuzzling the soft fur while cooing at the now sleeping pup.  
  
“Is he yours?” Peter asked softly, looking up at Bucky while also petting and lightly stroking over the pup’s face.  
  
Bucky nodded with a wide smile, just as two small dirty blonde boys came running up to him and climbing into his lap. He laughed softly, taking one boy onto each of his thighs. “Yes, Sammy is Steve and mine’s youngest. He was born last season, but these two little troublemakers,” he paused to grab the twins by the sides and tickle them both while nuzzling into their blonde hair. Giggles quickly filled the air. “These two are our firstborns - Tristan and Trevor. Boys, tell Peter how old you are.”  
  
Two sets of identical stormy blue eyes locked on Peter, and he smiled at the wide, toothy grins he received. “Three and a half!” both boys chirped at the same time.  
  
Peter smiled and lightly patted both boys on the head. “Well it’s nice to meet you both,” he told the boys.  
  
Suddenly, a small girl was bouncing into Peter’s sight. “Hi! I’m Cassie,” she said with a bright smile.  
  
“Oh, nice to meet you, Cassie. I’m Peter,” he said, waving at the roughly six-year-old girl.  
  
“Are you an omega?” Cassie asked, little head tilting to the side.  
  
Peter flushed lightly before nodding. Suddenly a few other pups were crawling up to him, and he looked down to pull four small pups into his lap - _two sets of twins maybe?_ He thought since they appeared in pairs - with Sammy. Two almost entirely black pups came up and rested their little heads on his uninjured knee, and a small blue-gray little one climbed up onto his bandaged leg. He hissed softly at the pain, but he swallowed it down to smile at the sudden swarm of pups.  
  
“Wow, I’ve never seen them all try and get attention at once,” Natasha said as she came up to the omega pair. Two other women in the pack followed her, each holding a little boy who was both squirming to get into Peter’s arms.  
  
Peter flushed lightly before looking down at the pups covering his lap. “I’m sorry,” he said softly.  
  
“What for?” the petite woman asked in a heavy accent. “It is a good thing that the pups are fond of you, is it not?”  
  
“I… don’t know? I’ve never really been around pups…” Peter mumbled as he set the sleeping Sammy on his lap beside the others. “I was only with my aunt and uncle, and they never had kids, so I was the youngest.”  
  
The other brunette sat beside him, Natasha to her left, and the smaller brunette sat by Peter’s feet. “No? It seems you’re a natural then. Pups are always a good judge of character after all.” The small omega nodded shyly, taking the two squirmy boys into his arms after the mothers offered.  
  
Now that he was officially pinned, Peter, instead of tensing like he thought he might with the weight and pressure of ten sleeping puppies on him, actually relaxed fully like he would have done in Tony’s den. He hadn’t even noticed he had been tense before.  
  
“Can you tell me their names?” he asked softly, watching as Trevor and Travis snuggled up to his side now. _Make it twelve pups._  
  
Bucky had given him a large smile and quickly began listing off the names. The near black pups belonged to Loki and Thor - the lithe and pale omega with long black hair and the excitable, huge blonde alpha - and were named Bard and Brant. The blue-gray little girl, Liliya, was Natasha’s and her alpha mate, Clint’s (the shorter, stockier blonde that was over by Tony) one and only pup. Wanda (the petite brunette) was mated to Vision - the extremely lithe, pale blonde that was talking to Wanda’s brother, Pietro - and their pup was named Charleston. Hope was the other brunette female who was actually an alpha and her mate, Scott, was a beta. Cassie was Scott’s daughter from a previous mating, but Hope had raised her since she was only a few months old. Cassie had smiled happily at her mother, now sitting at Peter’s feet and lightly petting her brother’s hair. “His name is William, but I call him Willy,” she had proudly told Peter. One of the other sets of twins belonged to Sam and Riley, the cute couple that was hanging around near the Chief of the pack, and they were named Daniel and Ethan. The other set belonged to Rhodey - who Peter was quite familiar with - and his mate Clarissa. They were the paler gray set, and they were named Christopher and Christian. The last two pups that Helen had brought over for Peter to meet belonged to her and her mate, Bruce, who was also with the rest of the alphas of the pack.  
  
“Their names are Charlotte and Madison,” she said with a smile as the two squirmy girls finally settled after being rested on Peter. The young omega merely smiled down at all of the pups that were completely covering his body. Fifteen in total.  
  
“I’ve never seen them all so calm at the same time…” a new voice said, and Peter looked up to see Loki standing nearby, watching him curiously. He blushed and looked down again, scratching lightly behind Christian’s ear and watching his little ears twitch happily.  
  
“Do they really not do this normally?” Peter asked nervously, looking over at Bucky.  
  
Bucky shook his head and hummed softly. “Not like this. Occasionally they’ll pair up and take naps on one of us, but they don’t get all fussy, and they certainly don’t all settle down at once.” Peter nodded slightly, focusing on the pups again. Unbeknownst to him, his gaze had softened considerably as he fondly pet along the backs of the pups, smiling as they seemed to snuggle up even closer to him. It had the others watching him curiously until a certain alpha came up.  
  
“Peter?” The sound of his name being called by Tony had the omega’s head quickly whipping up, and a wide, bright smile spread across his face as his eyes twinkled with pure, unadulterated happiness.  
  
“Alpha!”  
  
“Hey, kid. Do you want some water?” Tony asked as he arrived, both the alpha and omega completely oblivious to the curious stares from the others around them. Peter nodded quickly, and he took the canteen from the other and took a drink before passing it back.  
  
“Thank you, alpha,” he chirped. Tony nodded and gently ruffled the mass of curls, causing the younger to light up in a blush before he disappeared back to the other group. Peter smiled to himself and looked down at the pups again, scooping up Charlotte and nuzzling the little thing.  
  
The rest of the pack looked between the young omega and alpha with only one thought in mind: __Please be careful.


	5. The Panic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter as some interesting things are beginning to happen.  
> Much love! <3  
> I'm already working on the next chapter, so you should have it soon as well!
> 
> Updated: 12/1/2018

Peter had started coming out nearly every day after that first night. He was quickly becoming a part of the pack as he spent his time out with the pups. The others were beginning to think he was a true omega - not that he had any idea what that meant - and that he was perfect for watching and caring for children. He didn’t mind either way as he got to spend the day out of the den surrounded by soft, warm, and playful pups. It only got a bit weird when they got hungry and tried to suckle on him, but that was a different matter that Peter very specifically chose to _not_ think about.  
  
The pups were also beginning to spend more time in their human forms. They hadn’t mastered the control of it by any means, but Peter was beginning to get very familiar with each child no matter which form they were in. Today though, it seemed almost everyone had decided to stay bipedal. There was only a few that didn’t - Charlotte, Christian, and Charleston - but everyone was sleeping peacefully against some part of the omega’s body now that they’d tired themselves out from playing. Liliya had claimed his right leg again (like always), and he smiled wider as he saw her little cheek squished against him and the little spot of drool under her lips. She was a funny little thing.  
  
As the weeks past, the seasons began to change. The summer heat was beginning to turn into crisp autumn mornings, warm days, and cool evenings, but Peter was happy watching the colors change on the leaves from his perch by the fire. It was quite a nice way to spend his days while Tony was out with the other alphas either hunting or checking the territory for threats. It was certainly relaxing to be back around people again; it helped to fill the loneliness from losing his family.  
  
“So you’re still here?” an icy voice called from behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Pepper standing there, watching him with clear dislike in her eyes.  
  
Pepper always made Peter nervous. She still hadn’t warmed up to him in the few months since he had arrived even as he tried to prove that he wasn’t bad. It always failed miserably though. She only ever seemed to dislike him more and more the longer he stayed with the pack. And since he was finally given the okay to walk on his leg about two weeks ago, she was beginning to make her dislike more and more well known to him too.  
  
Peter flushed and looked down. “Well, Charlotte and Christian fell asleep on my lap…”  
  
“That’s not what I meant,” she quickly cut him off before stalking towards him. He shrunk back, holding the pups protectively in his arms. “Your leg is practically healed. You can walk on it now, so why are you still here?”  
  
The omega looked up at the blonde beta, growing timid in her presence. “Um… I… I-”  
  
“You don’t belong here, kid. You’re not a part of the pack. You’re not even bonded to a member.”  
  
Peter flushed at her comment, looking down at his lap. Over the past few weeks, he’s spent his time evenly between Tony and the pack, but his nights were always spent beside the alpha. He had come to realize about a month ago that he had fallen for the rugged and caring alpha, but he was too shy to say anything to the man.  
  
“You know Tony isn’t going to bond with you.” His head snapped up to see her, his cheeks burning. He hadn’t told anyone about his feelings, and he didn’t think anyone could tell. “Oh, come on, you’re surprised? We all know, kid. You’ve never been subtle about it.” The blood in his cheeks only seemed to spread up into his ears and down his neck, as she blatantly waved his secret in his face. “And I’ll tell you right now, Tony doesn’t want a kid like you. He and I have been together for years.”  
  
That caught his attention, and he looked up at the woman to see a smirk on her lips. “He… He never said anything…”  
  
She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “No? Well, you can blame yourself for that. You’ve been taking up all his time and annoying him with your clinginess that he can’t even spend time with his mate.” His gaze dropped again, and he felt pinpricks behind his eyes as the tears began to well. Tony had said he didn’t have a bond mate...  
  
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”  
  
“Didn’t know or didn’t care? Because I’m beginning to think its the latter with the way you act. You don’t care about anyone but yourself, do you? You ended up here because Tony had decided to take pity on you, and you’ve done nothing but weasel your way in deeper. You stay in his area. You prevent him from doing things for the pack. You keep him from me. And now you’re sitting here hoping that maybe he’ll mate with you? Pathetic.”  
  
Tears fell from Peter’s eyes, and he stifled a small sob as Christian began squirming a bit as the omega holding him fell into distress. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he whispered, petting the tears away from the pup who was beginning to fuss.  
  
“God, now you can’t even keep the pups calm? What good are you, brat? You should just leave. Go back wherever you came from. You don’t belong here in our pack. You’ll just ruin everything.” With that, she turned and walked away.  
  
He cried softly as her words continued to play through his head. The pups continued to squirm and fuss in his arms, and he tried desperately to comfort them, nuzzling their little heads and ears while shushing them softly.  
  
It took several moments, but they finally settled, and Peter sat there apologizing to them for quite a bit longer. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Just rest, relax, I promise I won’t hurt you. I promise nothing will happen to you,” he whispered softly to them until they stopped all their squirming. His thoughts were racing, and for once, he was thankful that no one had the ability to hear them. _Why am I such a failure? I can’t do anything right… The one thing they ask me to do, and I can’t even keep the pups happy._  
  
“Hey, kid!” He heard a voice from outside call, and he quickly wiped his tears away before looking towards the mouth of the cave to see Tony walking in. “Got you something.”  
  
Peter forced a smile on his face as the alpha approached him. “You didn’t have to, alpha.”  
  
The man shrugged before sitting beside the omega, their thighs practically touching as he held out two perfectly ripe and pale green pears. Peter perked up at that, happily taking one of them. “Pears?”  
  
“I know you said you liked them, and we were out looking around, and there was a tree full of them, so we all started gathering them. I ditched them though to bring you back one.” Tony winked at him, and Peter smiled before letting out a small laugh as he lifted the pear up to get a good sniff of the sweet scent.  
  
“Thank you,” Peter said with a smile, nuzzling the man’s shoulder as he sunk his teeth deep into the tender flesh. Tony’s fingers ran gently through his curls as he allowed the omega to lean into him.  
  
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”  
  
  
  
Tony stayed with him for a bit before leaving and returning to the task he had started with the other hunters. Peter sat there staring at the pups while thinking. _Maybe it’s time I leave…_ he thought, a frown pulling at his lips as the words bounced around his head. His fingers absently began braiding Liliya’s hair, and he found himself struggling to stay focused.  
  
Where would he go if he left? Would he just try and be lone? Could he even survive through the winter alone?  
  
He didn’t know the answer to any of the questions running around his head, and because of it, his anxiety was beginning to rise. He tried to take deep calming breaths before any of the pups got unsettled again, and just as he managed to take in a full breath, he jumped.  
  
“Something happened?” a smooth voice asked, and Peter whipped his head around to see Steve walking towards him. The small omega shrunk down, looking down at his lap shyly.  
  
“N-No…?” he said softly, but it oddly sounded like a question even to his own ears. Steve slowly sat himself down beside the small omega, pulling his sons into his lap when they all but tackled him.  
  
“You sure about that?” he asked.  
  
Peter glanced up at the alpha, seeing that kindness and tenderness that shouldn’t be so strong in an alpha of Steve’s stature and strength. “I’m fine. Just thinking.”  
  
Steve hummed softly and nodded, rocking his sons slightly in his lap as he watched them all begin to doze off again. “What are you thinking about?” he asked after a few moments of silence.  
  
“Just…” Peter stopped, suddenly feeling another wave of anxiety crashing over him. “Maybe it’s time I leave…” he admitted quietly, a tear running down his cheek and splashing onto his knee. “I don’t want to keep bothering everyone when I’m not part of the pack.”  
  
The alpha stayed quiet for a moment, and when Peter finally chanced a glance at him, he realized the man was studying him carefully - a furrow between his brows and a frown pulling at the corner of his lips. “You could always become a member of the pack instead, you know.”  
  
Peter felt his heart do a little flip at the idea of staying, of having a family again, but Pepper’s words left an insecurity like cool lead in his gut. “I… There’s nothing I can offer. I shouldn’t stay if I’m useless…”  
  
Steve made a harsh chuff noise before he shifted to sit up straighter. “What makes you think you have nothing to offer? What makes you think you’re useless?”  
  
Swallowing down his nerves, Peter merely shrugged, not wanting to get Pepper in trouble with the Chief. “There’s nothing I do here? I just watch the pups and cook…”  
  
An odd, humorless laugh seemed to bubble from deep within Steve’s chest, and it caused Peter’s cheeks to light up in a blush. “You just watch the pups and cook? You do realize that before you, there was never just one person that could watch the pups. There was never anyone that could settle them as you can. Their mothers barely ever got a full night’s rest, but now? The pups are content and stay asleep all night, which lets their mothers sleep too. That allows them to be more productive during the day. And I’ve seen those little things you weave. You could probably make much stronger baskets and storage for us with how tight your weaves are. You’re hardly useless, Peter. You’re practically one of the most useful people here.”  
  
Without even noticing, tears had slipped down Peter’s cheeks, and his breathing caught on a small hiccup. A warm hand lightly wrapped around his shoulder, and he looked up to see a sadly smiling Steve looking down at him. “Just think about it, okay? I’m sure the pack would be very happy to have you.”  
  
Even though there was a small part of him that knew he shouldn’t, Peter nodded quickly. “Thank you, Chief.”  
  
“It’s Steve, kid,” the man said with a genuine smile. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to bring the boys back to see Buck. He’s finally feeling well enough to see them.”  
  
Peter nodded quickly, helping the man to take Sammy in his arms. “I hope he’s well soon,” he said softly as the alpha got up and began to head to his own den, where his currently sick mate was hiding, with a small herd of children following him.  
  
“I’m sure he’ll be up and out by tomorrow. It’s always this time of year that he gets a bit sick,” Steve said with a slight shrug before nodding at the omega. “Think about what I said, Peter. I’ll see you at dinner.”  
  
  
  
After Steve left, Peter spent the rest of the afternoon as normal. He woke the pups up before they slept too much, and he played with them as they wanted. It was relatively uneventful, except for Bard and Brant getting themselves into a small amount of trouble, but Peter was able to quickly convince them to stop by threatening to get their mother.  
  
There was another point though, Peter had to rush to the mouth of the cave, scooping up Cassie before any of the others caught sight of her and decided to follow suit. He shivered when a cool breeze ran over his body, and he was glad that he managed to shield her smaller body from the cold. “Don’t go too close to the edge, Cassie. You know the others are too small to get that close,” he scolded her softly.  
  
“I’m sorry, Petey…” she pouted, hugging him tight around the neck and giving him a kiss on the cheek.  
  
“It’s okay, Cassie. We just don’t want anyone to get hurt, okay?”  
  
The little girl quickly nodded before giving the omega another kiss and dashing off to her brother when she was put down. Peter smiled after her before sitting down on the edge of his seat once more to pull the girls into his lap, setting aside time to do their hair since it always made them smile.  
  
As he continued as normal, his mind started to drift again to the several conversations he had so far that day. Chewing on his bottom lip, he made a decision. He’d stay with the pack as long as they wanted him, maybe just until the winter was over and his limp was better. Maybe forever if that was okay. But he was going to stay. They were his family now.  
  
The thought made him smile and a warmth to bloom in his chest. He may have lost his family by blood, but this pack filled the hole in his chest with the same love and emotions even though he had no physical connection to them. As long as they wanted him, he’d stay.  
  
  
  
It seemed Peter’s bliss of staying only lasted a blink of an eye, but truth be told, it had been almost two weeks. He still spent his days in the main portion of the den, but whenever Pepper was around, he tended to hide himself away somewhere.  
  
Ever since their prior conversation, she was more open in her dislike for him unless Tony was around. The omega had plans to ask Tony about their relationship, but whenever he gained the courage to do so, one look at the alpha smiling at him had him swallowing down the question. Why ruin the man’s happiness?  
  
He had tried to push the thoughts and doubt away. Surely the alpha would have told him he was mated? Pepper didn’t have a claim mark either, so maybe it wasn’t as serious as she made him believe? Maybe she was just upset about a breakup? Maybe that was it.  
  
Peter tried to tell himself that he hadn’t ruined any relationships when he arrived, and whenever he was around the other members of the pack, he never felt like he didn’t belong. They acted like he was one of them like he was family, and that warmth and comfort from before always came back and chased away his insecurities.  
  
Maybe that’s why it came as such a surprise to hear growling and arguing when he slipped out of Tony’s den one morning. “He isn’t one of us!” a voice snarled, and Peter stopped in his tracks when he realized they were talking about him. A deep sense of cold started leaking into his bones, and he chewed on his bottom lip as his insecurities once again began to rise.  
  
“He is one of us. He’s been adopted by the whole pack. The _only_ one with a problem with him is you!” A different voice, Natasha he thought, snarled.  
  
“Well, I’m sorry that I’m not happy to invite an unmated, unclaimed omega into our pack,” Pepper spat. “Do you know the damage this could bring during mating season? The second he goes into heat, if he’s even _old_ enough, there will be alphas and betas from all over coming into our territory for him.”  
  
Peter shrunk into himself as his nails dug into the rock in front of him. He hadn’t thought of that, but… he would be a danger to the pack. He’d be a danger to the pups. Tears began building in his eyes as he thought about any of the pups falling into harm’s way because of him. He knew he never should have stayed...  
  
“We can handle that when the time comes,” Steve’s ever leveled voice spoke.  
  
“When the time comes is too late,” Pepper snapped. “When the time comes, everyone is in danger. The pups are in danger! Almost everyone in this pack is mated. Almost everyone will have to deal with their partner in heat, and not only that, but the few left will have to protect the pack and the pups, and they’re going to have to deal with some unclaimed brat in heat?”  
  
“He’s not a brat!” a deeper voice growled. _Tony,_ Peter thought, chewing on his lip.  
  
“I don’t want to hear it from you.” Peter could hear the sneer in her voice, and he shrunk back because of it.  
  
“Well, then you’ll hear it from me,” Steve spoke. “Peter has done a lot for the pack. He’s watched all of the pups every day, taken them whenever one of them got a bit sick or fussy, and he has been allowing their mothers to actually get some much-needed rest. Not only that but he’s more than willing to help with the cooking and the maintenance of the pack as long as it doesn’t irritate his leg. He’s proven to be a very valuable asset, and he would be a great addition to the pack.”  
  
“And you’re just going to leave an unclaimed omega in the pack? You’re just going to risk everyone for one brat that isn’t even bleed into the pack?”  
  
“I told you, we’d worry about him being unclaimed later. I wouldn’t remove him from the pack just because he doesn’t have a partner. If I did that, we’d have half the numbers we have.” Steve’s voice was beginning to calm Peter, but then his blood turned to ice at Pepper’s next words.  
  
“And what are you going to do about the people already creeping into our territory for him?” Peter paled. There were people creeping into the territory? They were after him? Panic was beginning to rise as he thought about the men that had attacked his family, that had killed both his uncle and aunt in cold blood. Were they coming to get him? Were they going to hurt the pack? The pups?  
  
“We don’t know that they’re after Peter,” Steve cut in. “All we know is they’re wandering on the edge of our territory.”  
  
“And did we ever have problems with that prior to the brat getting here? No. We didn’t.” Pepper growled.  
  
A deeper growl that Peter had never heard before and caused his knees to buckle on instinct rumbled through the air, and he was surprised to find out it was Steve. “You’re toeing the line, Pepper. Stop it.”  
  
“Fine,” she spat, and Peter could imagine that she was turning away to leave. “When the pack gets attacked and when the pups get slaughtered all because someone wants a piece of ass from the brat, then it’ll be your fault.” Peter could hear footsteps approaching, and he turned and ran from the area as fast as he could. He didn’t even know he was crying until he stumbled back into the den, his foot catching on the lip and causing him to fall to his knees, and suddenly his entire body was trembling with the force of his sobs.  
  
He couldn’t hear anything. His brain could only replay the words he had overheard and created the horrors of his only fear. _When the pups get slaughtered..._ He sobbed into the furs once he buried his face in them, for once not calmed by the alpha’s scent but instead more anxious.  
  
His brain kept twisting the precious memories of when the pups would sleep in his lap into a nightmare. He could see the blood all over his legs and the rocks, and he could see the limpness of the pups, could hear their cries of anguish and pain as they tried desperately to get back to safety. Could practically taste the copper of blood on his tongue.  
  
If he stayed here, then the pack would be in danger. The alphas that had attacked his family because of his scent would find him again. They’d find the pups. They’d slaughter everyone like they did his parents and aunt and uncle. They’d all die. And they were already on their way...  
  
He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t be the reason such pain came to such good people. He couldn’t be the reason behind the loss of any more innocent lives.  
  
He had to leave. He had to leave tonight.


	6. The Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!  
> I just wanted to say one thing, yes some of the tags have changed as I have added some other familiar faces. What I did want to say was that I'm sorry if it upsets any of you that I changed the Guardians' appearances. I just couldn't have them as aliens, and it felt wrong to have Quill and Gamora and none of the others. So I hope that you are all alright with their inclusion to the story. Also the fact that I made Groot and Rocket human... I hopefully captured their characters though and introduced them as still accurate for the universe.  
> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!  
> Much love! <3
> 
> Updated: 12/1/2018

Dinner that night was tense, and no one spoke too much. Usually, mealtimes were the loudest times as everyone gathered together and was able to share what happened during the day while the pack had been divided into various chores.  
  
Today, only small conversations happened with mostly just people speaking to the ones directly by them. Peter didn’t talk much at all, only shared a few words with Bucky and a few with Tony. Once his meal was finished, he asked Steve if it was alright for him to return to the den to rest, and he was kindly granted the reprieve.  
  
He slipped away and entered the den, stretching himself across the soft furs. The scent of sandalwood and the forest after a rainstorm filled his nose, and he tried to commit the scent to memory by burying his face even deeper into the furs. If he was going to leave, he wanted at least something to remember the man that had unknowingly stolen his heart.  
  
“Enjoying yourself?” a voice from behind called, startling the omega.  
  
Tony was standing there with a slight smirk, and Peter felt his cheeks heating up. The alpha tended to always get this kind of reaction from him, and he both hated and loved it. “Just tired…” he lied, looking down at the floor as he pushed himself into a sitting position.  
  
The other laughed softly before walking in deeper and settling himself beside the smaller male. “I’m teasing you, kid,” he said with a grin, lightly bumping his shoulder against the omega’s.  
  
Peter only flushed darker before lightly giving the man a shove, not that he moved him in the slightest. Tony laughed again, and this time a smile spread across Peter’s face. He was always put at ease by the man’s laugh, the silky baritone coating him almost like a blanket in its warmth.  
  
Tony stretched himself out, lying almost like a starfish on his back. Peter giggled and quickly took his usual place, chin resting on the odd scar in the middle of the man’s chest. The alpha smiled down at him, the edges of his eyes crinkling in fondness, as he played with the other’s curls.  
  
“Out of curiosity, what do I smell like to you?” Tony asked after a few moments of content petting. Peter’s eyes had fallen shut in the time, but they fluttered open to look at the man.  
  
“Like sandalwood and the earth after it rains,” Peter responded without hesitation. Tony made a small noise in the back of his throat. “Why?” Peter asked curiously, head tilting up slightly to look up at the man.  
  
“Curiosity. Everyone use to say I smelt like a natural disaster was coming, you know, like a hurricane or a flood. They said they always knew when I was in a bad mood because I honestly smelt like sopping wet, almost rotting wood like after a really horrible storm.” There was little humor in his words, yet a laugh bubbled up from his throat.  
  
Peter frowned, lightly tracing the oddly circular scar on the man’s chest. “I’ve never smelt anything like that.”  
  
Tony made a noise in the back of his throat. “You’re the only one, kid. Pepper used to complain about it all the time.” The alpha winced when his brain caught up to what his mouth had said.  
  
Chewing on his lip, Peter looked down at the intricate pattern of scar tissue mixed with healthy skin. It was now or never he guessed. “Are you and Pepper mates?” he asked softly.  
  
The older male barked out a laugh before shaking his head. “No, we aren’t. We’ve tried to make it work for years, but it never did.” He shrugged slightly, his hand sliding up and down the boy’s back absently.  
  
Peter nodded before setting his head down flat, ear pressed against the man’s scar right above his heart. He fought the emotions that were rising up again and simply closed his eyes to will away the tears. He just wanted to enjoy his last night with the pack, with his family, with Tony.  
  
  
  
Some time in the middle of the night, Peter was shocked awake. Tony was sitting up, body tense and alert. “Alpha? What’s wrong?” Peter asked softly as he pushed himself up.  
  
“Shh, kid,” Tony said offhandedly as he moved to stand. His head poked out of the den, and he quickly pulled it back in before turning to Peter. “Come on,” he said quickly, gently taking the omega’s bicep and helping him stand.  
  
Peter blinked but stood, clinging to the man’s hand. “What’s going on?” he said softly as he was pulled from the den and brought through the caves.  
  
“There’s recently been invaders in our territory. I can smell them. They’re closer than they’ve ever been before. Too close.” He said quickly, and when they entered the center of the caves, almost all of the alphas of the pack were there.  
  
“Peter, go with the nesters and pups, okay?” Steve said quickly, and Peter was worried when he saw how tense the man seemed.  
  
“Where are they?” he asked softly.  
  
Clint slid up to him as Tony left to go catch up with Steve. “It’s close by the Chief’s den. All the others are already there with the pups. Just go like you’re going to visit Bucky, but instead of going right, go left. It’s deep in there. Do _not_ come out unless one of us comes to get you, okay?”  
  
Peter nodded quickly to the man’s words. He’d never seen any of the pack like this before, and he didn’t want to make anything worse by asking stupid questions. “O-Okay.”  
  
Clint nodded once before leaving, and Tony reappeared beside him. “Go to the others. Now. I’ll come to get you when this is over,” he said quickly, leaning down to press a kiss to the boy’s forehead. Peter nodded slightly, for once not blushing at the tender action since he was too busy worrying about what was to come.  
  
“Be safe,” he said softly, lightly squeezing the man’s hand. “And remember your promise.”  
  
Tony gave him a slight smile, the action tense and nowhere as relaxed as it normally would be. “I remember. Now go.”  
  
  
  
There was confusion when Peter was trying to find the space he was meant to hide in, but he did manage to find the others. If only because of the fussing of the pups. Once he was inside though, several little small people were clinging to him.  
  
“Oh, thank god, you’re okay,” Bucky said quickly, and Peter found himself in a tight hug with the other omega.  
  
He nodded slightly before gently hugging back. “Yeah… What’s going on though?” he said with a frown when he was let go. Sitting on the floor, he took the pups into his arms, hugging them and petting their hair until their whimpers of fear were slowly beginning to quiet.  
  
Bucky sat next to him and let out a small sigh. “There’s been people hanging around near the edge of our territory recently… They’ve never gotten in very far though, so Steve wasn’t about to go out there and cause a problem if there didn’t need to be.”  
  
Peter nodded slightly. “So what happened tonight?” he asked quietly.  
  
“They came in deeper,” Natasha spoke up. “They were within a mile of the cave.”  
  
Nodding again, Peter rocked a still fussy Ethan in his arms. “So what’s going to happen?” he asked, nerves beginning to creep into his own voice.  
  
“Well thanks to you, there’s probably going to be a fight,” a familiar voice sneered.  
  
“Pepper now is not the time for your petty problems,” Natasha growled.  
  
Before Pepper even had a chance, Bucky was speaking. “I don’t care. I don’t want to hear it from anyone.” He turned to face Peter again, gently squeezing his shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Peter. We don’t know who these people are or what they want. And we don’t know if there is going to be a fight. They’re probably just looking for some supplies for the upcoming winter.”  
  
The harsh scoff Peter knew was Pepper, and he couldn’t help but look down at his lap in shame. “I should have left earlier…”  
  
“No, Peter,” Bucky said softly.  
  
“No? No, you’re right, brat. You should have left earlier. So if anyone gets hurt out there, it’s your fault,” Pepper snapped.  
  
“Pepper!” Bucky let out a harsh growl, and Peter shrunk back from the sound as his eyes began to shine.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, and Bucky sighed softly.  
  
“Peter, it’s not your fault. If anything happens, Helen and I will patch them up. Stephen too.”  
  
“But-”  
  
“Why do you keep coddling him?!” Pepper finally snapped.  
  
“Because he’s still a pup!” Bucky snapped right back, and Peter had to admit that the fire in the man’s eyes was terrifying. He held the few pups in his arms tighter even though he knew they were safe and beginning to doze off again. “Peter came to us injured and alone. He’s just a pup who needs someone to look out for him. He’s a part of this pack whether you like it or not, so grow the fuck up, Pepper, and stop being a pain in the ass!”  
  
“I really don’t think I’m worth this much trouble…” Peter said softly, looking down at the ground.  
  
“You’re not!” Pepper snapped. “You’re not worth a damn, brat.”  
  
“Peter’s worth ten of you, Pepper,” Natasha sneered.  
  
“Oh, fuck you, Natasha. No one cares what you think.”  
  
“No, correction,” Bucky cut in, “no one cares what you think, Pepper. If you want to be bitter that Tony broke up with you, then go be bitter somewhere else! I’ve had enough of you antagonizing Peter and constantly trying to stir up problems.”  
  
“Tony and I did not break up!” Pepper snarled.  
  
“Yeah, you did,” Bucky mocked. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be so damn insecure all the time.”  
  
“While I may agree with some of the things being said,” Hope began, and Peter glanced up at her, not even realizing she had been there the whole time. “I don’t think now is the time for this conversation. Someone’s coming…”  
  
The pack members currently hiding in the cave quickly silenced. The tension and stress of the situation had brought out the worst in everyone, but now a possible threat was approaching. Peter frowned and held the pups closer, moving towards the back as the few fighters that stayed behind moved closer to the mouth of the den.  
  
It was tense and silent for several moments as everyone prepared for an attack before a young woman poked her head in. She had beautiful long hair that fell over her petite shoulders. Her appearance was rough with the scars marrying her dark skin around her cheekbones and brows, and near black eyes that were sharpened into lethal slits, but they softened into a kind warmth as they settled on the one she was looking for.  
  
“Peter!” she said quickly, a relieved smile beginning to twist up the corner of her lips. There was silence for a moment as Peter stared at the woman in open shock, and the pack members stared between the two of them in utter confusion.  
  
It took a moment for Peter to fully register who was in front of him, but once he did, a few tears spilled down his cheeks as he moved towards the woman. Her face so painfully familiar that Peter’s chest ached to think that maybe this was just a dream. “Gamora!”  
  
He was embraced by the woman, and he held onto her tight, crying into her dark hair. “Oh, my god, you’re alive,” she whispered softly as she hugged him tight enough to hurt.  
  
“So… So much has happened…” he sniffled, and she pulled back to cup his cheeks, wiping away his tears.  
  
“I know, sweetie,” she said softly. “We found May a while ago… We buried her, and we’ve been looking for you ever since. We thought something happened to you. But now isn’t the time for this. We have to go, and we have to go now.”  
  
“W-What?” he said softly as she tried to pull him after her towards the entrance to the cave.  
  
“Wait! What’s going on? Do you know her?” Bucky asked quickly, reaching out and catching Peter’s hand before he got too far.  
  
“Y-Yeah… I do, she… was friends with my aunt.” Peter started, but he stopped when Gamora quickly cut him off.  
  
“Let him go. Now,” she growled, pulling Peter even closer to her.  
  
Bucky growled back, trying to keep his hold on Peter from growing too tight or painful. “How do we know that you’re not just going to attack him?”  
  
“I would never! You’re the ones that attacked his family and forced him here!” she snapped.  
  
“We did no such thing!”  
  
“Then why are you keeping him locked away back here?” she scoffed and gave another tug to pull Peter closer.  
  
“We’re in here hiding from you and your crazy pack!” Bucky said, and for once he really pulled on Peter, using his strength to get the boy back towards him. Towards the safety of the pack and away from whoever this was.  
  
“My pack is not crazy. We’re on a rescue mission, now Peter, come on, let’s go. The others can’t keep them back forever,” she said quickly.  
  
Peter’s head was reeling as he took everything. They knew May was dead? They’d been looking for him? They… were fighting the pack! “Gamora, get them to stop fighting! Please!” he begged quickly, pulling away from Bucky and looking at the woman with big, scared eyes. “Please, they’re my family now. Please don’t hurt them.”  
  
The confusion in her eyes and on her face was clearly visible. “What?” she said softly.  
  
“Please, ‘Mora, please. They saved me from the people that attacked us. They saved me. I was injured and weak, and they took me in and have been taking care of me. I can walk again because of them. Please, you have to tell them to stop fighting!”  
  
A frown pulled at the woman’s lips, and her eyes showed clear uncertainty. “Peter… Stop fighting,” she said, turning her head towards the mouth of the cave.  
  
She turned back to Peter and gently grabbed his arm. “You need to come and explain everything,” she said seriously, and he nodded quickly before looking back at the pack.  
  
“I know them. I promise,” he said softly to the worried looks for the other (well mostly worried, but Pepper never looked like she hadn’t been chewing on rocks when he was around). “Please, I have to explain.”  
  
The rest nodded slightly. “Okay… If it means no more fighting, okay,” Bucky said softly. Peter nodded and gently pulled fully away from Bucky, taking Gamora’s hand in both of his. “Stay safe, Peter,” he said as the pair went towards the exit.  
  
“I will, promise,” Peter said quickly with a slight smile. Bucky nodded once more and watched the pair disappear.  
  
  
  
Gamora quickly pulled Peter towards the mouth of the cave where she spoke loud enough for her packmates to hear. “Stop. Drax, Mantis, Groot, Rocket, Nebula, Kraglin, all of you, stop. Peter, you need to stop too.”  
  
Peter couldn’t hear what was being said, but he figured there was a lot of protests. Gamora quickly moved down the cliff, and Peter followed suit. When they got there, massive wolves were coming towards them.  
  
Peter saw the pack staying close to the edge of the cliff, and they glanced at him when he appeared beside the woman, but they stayed in their wolf forms as they approached. “They’re not going to fight anymore,” Peter told the massive dirty blonde wolf he knew to be Steve. Blue eyes locked on his, and Peter felt more ashamed now than he ever had about not being able to communicate with them. “I know them. I’m so sorry,” he said softly, fighting tears.  
  
The big blonde wolf leaned forward and gently nuzzled the side of Peter’s face, almost as if accepting the apology, and Peter found it even harder to swallow that he couldn’t talk to them like this. He turned away quickly to see the small pack of now bipedal wolves, and he moved towards them. “H-Hi…” he said softly before getting cut off by a massive bear hug.  
  
“What the fuck is going on, kid? We thought you were dead.” Peter said softly into those curls, large body almost completely hiding the omega from sight.  
  
“I’m sorry, Quill, I’m going to explain,” he said quickly. “But you can’t fight these people. They’ve done nothing wrong.”  
  
The large alpha, Quill, pulled back and looked down at the much smaller boy with the matching first name. He glanced at the wolves that were still defensively standing guard in front of the den before looking down at the omega. “Alright, but start talking, kid.”  
  
  
  
Peter quickly broke into the tale of what happened: starting when the rogue pack attacked them and ending as they were now. He told them everything: how he’d been saved and cared for, how they were like family, how this was all just a really big misunderstanding.  
  
When the threat had disappeared, the pack had shifted back into their own bipedal forms, listening and watching the newcomers closely. It seemed the largest of the males was the leader. His short hair and slightly wild appearance didn’t really sit well with anyone, but it was better than some of the others.  
  
One of the few women was the one that Peter had come out with: Gamora, they learned. She was the one that also had somehow gotten by all of them and entered the cave, which didn’t sit well with anyone. She was a beta, and if the way she stayed by their Chief’s side said anything, they assumed they were mates.  
  
The other large alpha was even stranger than the first. He was built like a wall in a similar way that Quill was, but he talked very… literally. He spoke in odd phrases and with a unique accent. His skin was also tan and littered with odd scars that almost looked like battle armor on his skin. He went by Drax apparently.

  
The smallest of the women stayed next to him. An omega with long black hair and slightly startling large eyes. She spoke softly and calmly, and the way she talked was also interesting and heavy with an accent. She seemed to be the calmest of the bunch, and she seemed to almost have the ability to calm the rest with just a touch or a few words. Mantis was what she always seemed to respond to.   
  
The last alpha was silent. He never said anything, merely looked down at the smaller male beside him. He was intimidating in height as he stood at least a head above everyone else, but he was lanky and pale in a way the others weren’t. His hair also seemed permanently spiky.   
  
The small man that never left the massive one’s side was called Rocket (apparently the giant was named Groot?). He was tiny compared to everyone else, but the way he fought was like that of a truly wild animal. He was a beta and seemed to talk very quickly and roughly like he didn’t really care if what he said hurt or offended anyone around him. His skin was also littered in scars, and his hair was graying (or maybe it just was always like that) which made him appear older than the others, but he snapped like he was still young.   
  
Finally, the last male was the most normal-appearing of them all. Just a relatively quiet beta who spoke when he felt the need but clearly listened intently. Short brown hair and a lanky body that seemed almost as if it hadn’t finished growing. He went by Kraglin.   
  
The last person stayed close to Gamora. She was another beta who went by the name of Nebula. She was built very similar to Gamora as well except in place of caramel colored skin, she had a pale, faintly pink complexion. She had wild dark hair, and her eyes always appeared to be narrowed and calculating as if she was constantly on alert for an attack.   
  
“So you’re saying that these aren’t the people that attacked you?” Quill asked.   
  
Peter nodded quickly. “Right. Tony found me when I was on the edge of their territory and brought me back to get my leg fixed.”   
  
“Jesus, kid, how did you get here all the way from there? With a broken leg too.”   
  
“I… I don’t know. I just ran, and I ended up at the river, but I couldn’t run anymore…”   
  
Gamora seemed to softened slightly at the clear pain in the boy’s words. “Well, at least you’re healed now.”   
  
“Yeah, good for that,” Nebula said a bit gruffly behind her sister, but Peter knew that was just the way she always spoke.   
  
“I’m sorry about Ben… We didn’t find him when we went to check for you,” Quill said.   
  
“It’s okay. Tony and Vision buried him next to May. Thank you for doing that for her,” he said sincerely, looking between the members of the pack.   
  
“Ah, brat, don’t mention it,” Rocket said with a quick offhanded wave.   
  
Peter smiled down at the small male before turning back to the pack. “I’m sorry about this…”   
  
Steve walked forward. “I understand. I wish it hadn’t started with a fight, but at least it didn’t end in one,” he said before lightly ruffling the small omega’s hair. Peter smiled before looking back at his family friends.   
  
“So what now, kid? Are you coming back with us?” Quill said.   
  
The thought left Peter lost. “Wait… What?” he asked.   
  
Rocket rolled his eyes before speaking again. “Listen, brat, we came all the way out here because we thought you were dying or some shit. We planned to bring you back with us, so you coming with us or staying with these weirdos?”   
  
“Careful who you’re calling weird,” Clint’s voice came from the back, and Peter fought a smile as Rocket growled.   
  
“I am Groot.” It was the first time Groot had spoken, and the pack was surprised by just how deep his voice really was.   
  
“Oh, shut up, you,” Rocket growled back at the other while rolling his eyes. “Honestly, why do I put up with you?”   
  
“I am Groot.”   
  
“Bullcrap! It is not just because you said yes!” The conversation got a laugh out of Peter, and Steve stared in utter confusion between the two.   
  
Peter looked up at him and offered some form of an explanation. “Groot got in an accident many years ago. All he can say is I am Groot or variations of those three words. Rocket understands what he’s trying to say though.”   
  
That got a small, hesitant nod from the Chief. “Either way, what’s your decision, kid?” Quill cut in again.   
  
Peter paled as he was put back on the spot. What was he going to choose? Who should he choose? He wanted to stay, but he wanted to go… He loved the pack like they were his family, but Quill’s pack has known him most of his life… “I… I…”   
  
_ When the pups get slaughtered… No, you’re not worth a damn, brat… You should have left earlier… _ Pepper’s words began to run through his head again, and he thought back to how scared the pups were, how nervous and tense the pack was when they thought invaders were entering their territory. The idea of them getting into another fight because of Peter. It didn’t seem like the decision was truly his own.   
  
“I’ll go with you guys,” he said, looking up at Quill.


	7. The Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!  
> I'm sorry this is a bit late, but I had to do a little rearranging. I do have the next few chapters mostly ready though, so you should be getting them decently quick!  
> Much love, guys! <3
> 
> Updated: 12/1/2018

_I’ll go with you guys._ The words bounced around Tony’s skull without seeming to be processed. It took a moment before the words stuck, and his wolf instantly broke into a panic. Shifting back to bipedal, Tony moved quickly to be beside the boy. “Peter,” he said quickly.  
  
Peter turned to look at him, and an almost sad smile seemed to curl at the corner of his lips. “Hi, alpha.”  
  
“Peter, you don’t have to go, you know,” he said quickly. “You could stay with us too. Right, Steve?” he asked, glancing at the Chief who merely nodded. “See? You don’t have to go.”  
  
The omega nodded, and his smile seemed to twist into a frown as his eyes got that far-off look again. “I want to,” he said, focus returning as he looked back up at Tony. “You guys have been great to me, but… I can’t keep taking your kindness.”  
  
“But you’re part of the pack,” Tony tried to reason. His heart was pounding in his ears to the point he almost felt like he was going to go deaf, and he fought the slight tremor that was fighting to spread through his body. This couldn’t be happening.  
  
Peter shook his head slightly. “I’m not. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but…” His small shoulders came up in a faint shrug before he looked at Steve. “I’m sorry for being a bother, taking up resources and time.”  
  
Steve frowned. “You’ve never been a bother. Like Tony said, if you want to stay, you’re more than welcome to stay. We can officially make you a pack member too.”  
  
The small male seemed to curl into himself: his head dropping into a hung position that allowed his curls to hide his eyes. “I appreciate it, but I really do want to go with them. Can I just say goodbye to the others?” Peter’s voice had dropped to barely a whisper, and there was an unmistakable sadness to his words.  
  
“I’ll take you,” Tony said instantly, to which he got a small nod.  
  
  
  
After telling his friends that he’d be right back, Peter followed Tony up and into the den, heading towards where the nesters were hidden away still. “Peter, are you sure this is what you want?” Tony asked, stopping in their journey to turn and face the boy.  
  
Peter was still curled into himself, but he looked up when Tony stopped, and the alpha could see the tears that were hiding behind those lashes. “Peter, you don’t have to go. You can stay here. With us.” _With me._  
  
He shook his head again, a tear slipping past and rolling down his cheek. “I can’t,” he whispered, and the pain from before seemed to have doubled if not tripled.  
  
“But you _can_. We can make you a real member. If you want to stay, sweetheart, we can make it work,” he said.  
  
The dam seemed to break as Peter broke into a sob, reaching out for the man that had been his near-constant comfort for months. Tony wrapped his arms tight around the boy, burying his nose in those curls and holding him tight. “I can’t stay, alpha. I can’t. I _have_ to go.”  
  
This time it was Tony who was shaking his head, hugging the boy tighter to himself. “You don’t. You don’t have to go.”  
  
“Yes, I do. I can’t risk the pack, the pups,” Peter argued, wiping angrily at his tears. “I can’t risk everyone getting into a real fight because of me. We don’t know if those rogues from before are still after me… If they found me…”  
  
“We can keep you safe,” Tony whispered, fighting the tears that were threatening to fall. This couldn’t be happening. It was a dream, right? It had to be a dream.  
  
“I need to keep you safe,” Peter returned, pulling away to look up at the man. His fingers reached up and lightly brushed across the man’s cheek before he leaned up to peck the stubbled skin. “Come on, I’m taking too much time.”  
  
He pulled away and grabbed the man’s hand, dragging him towards the hidden den with the nesters and pups. Tony stayed quiet as they walked, fighting with his thoughts. He couldn’t let Peter go. He just couldn’t. His wolf was whining and crying at just the idea of the omega leaving.  
  
“Peter, please,” he started, stopping again before they reached the den.  
  
The omega turned, and Tony could see what must have been reflected in his own eyes: desperation. “Alpha, I have to leave. I’m not risking the pack and the pups just to stay.”  
  
“But wouldn’t you be risking whatever-his-name-is’ pack by going with them?” he said. It was the fault in Peter’s logic, right? Surely he’d stay with him if it was dangerous no matter what.  
  
“Quill, Tony, his name is Quill,” the boy offered with a slight smile before shaking his head. “Quill’s pack is safer. They live in the high, high mountains off to the east. It’s practically impossible to get to their den if you don’t know how to navigate up there.”  
  
Tony frowned, and he thought about something, anything to convince the boy. “What about a mate though during your heat or what about a bondmate? Wouldn’t it be hard to find someone up there?” Peter flinched at the man’s words, and he pulled back a bit, and Tony realized what his mouth had said. “Peter, I didn’t mean-”  
  
“No, it’s fine. I haven’t thought that far ahead, but there are people that are unmated in Quill’s pack, maybe I’ll just bond or mate with one of them.” He said with a slight shrug, and Tony’s wolf growled at the idea.  
  
“You shouldn’t just settle because there aren’t many options,” Tony argued, trying to keep the deep growl out of his voice as his wolf continued to bristle. “You should bond with someone that you want to bond with.”  
  
The small, humorless laugh that tumbled from Peter’s lips left a coldness running through Tony’s blood. It wasn’t a sound the boy had ever made before, and it wasn’t one that Tony ever wanted to hear again. “If I waited for the one I wanted, we’d both be dead by the time he realized,” he muttered almost bitterly. He turned away again and began to walk, leaving the alpha behind. “I can’t keep wasting time. We have to get going.”  
  
  
  
The rest of Peter’s time with the pack was a blur. Tony couldn’t get the words out of his head: _if I waited for the one I want._ There was someone that Peter wanted to bond with? Who was it? His wolf was beginning to back down, to settle in its own panic and sadness.  
  
It had to be someone in the pack, right? But if it was someone that wouldn’t notice Peter’s affection, was it someone that didn’t spend much time with him? Was it someone that didn’t know how special the boy truly was?  
  
The questions wouldn’t stop even as he watched Peter say his last goodbyes to the nesters. He watched as Bucky hugged him tight and seemed to fight tears once everyone else had gotten their own hugs and goodbyes. Was it Bucky? No, Bucky was claimed and an omega. It was rare for that to happen. Maybe that was the point though… Was Peter in love with Bucky? Was that it? And he wouldn’t notice because of his bond with Steve?  
  
Tony was beginning to grow more and more aggravated as he tried desperately to figure out what was going on. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t even remember why Peter was saying goodbye until they climbed down the cliff and stood at the base of their cave.  
  
Alarm bells were blaring again, and Tony went to say something when Peter’s fingers lightly pressed to his lips. “I have to go. I _want_ to go,” he said softly, and Tony deflated, shoulders dropping as he looked down at the boy.  
  
He nodded his head slightly before pulling Peter into his arms and hugging him tight once more. The omega was practically hidden in his arms, but he ignored how odd it may look to the others in favor of holding the boy one last time.  
  
 _It’s too late now, isn’t it?_ He thought. It was too late for a chance with the boy. It was too late to be anything except the one that saved him all those months back. Peter was in love with Bucky. He was leaving because it was easier to be gone than it was to remain in a place where the one he wanted he couldn’t have. What he thought was just a friendship was, in fact, the boy falling in love. His chance to be with him was gone.  
  
“Be safe,” he said softly against the boy’s shoulder. Tony felt the omega’s slight nod against his skin, and he took one last inhale of that beautiful scent before pulling back. Those warm chocolate orbs looked up at him again, and he forced a smile to his face though even he could tell it probably wasn’t very convincing.  
  
“Bye, alpha,” Peter said softly before carefully pulling himself from the man’s arms and going towards his new pack. Gamora seemed to take him into her arms once again, and Tony could feel it as his heart sank to his feet.  
  
“Peter,” Steve’s voice was actually startling to the other alpha. Most of the others had gone inside to either check on their mates or go back to bed, but of course, the Chief had stuck around. Peter turned to look at Steve, and once the man had his attention he spoke again. “Should you ever wish to come back, please don’t hesitate to.” The omega’s eyes seemed to shine again, and he nodded slightly, hiding inside Gamora’s arms. It used to be mine, a part of Tony’s brain supplied, but he swallowed down the fresh wave of pain that thought created. “And if any of you should need anything,” Steve said, now looking and addressing the Chief of their pack. Quill was giving him a sharp look, watching the other Chief closely. “If you need anything, please, don’t hesitate to ask.”  
  
Quill nodded before taking the hand that Steve offered him and shaking it. “The same for you, I guess,” the man said, and Steve gave him a slight smile. When the Chiefs pulled back, Quill turned to his pack. “Alright, we need to head out now if we want to get back any time soon.”  
  
His packmates nodded and all began to shift into their wolf forms, taking off into the woods. Peter, Gamora, and Quill were the only three remaining now. The bonded pair each shifted into their wolves, and just before Peter did as well, Tony had one last question.  
  
“Promise that if you need anything or if things don’t work out, you’ll come back,” the alpha said quickly before he lost the other forever.  
  
Peter turned to look at him and offered him a slight smile, gently squeezing the man’s hand before taking a few steps back towards the other two. “Promise,” he said before the teenager was gone and in his place stood a small, chocolate wolf.  
  
Tony watched as the three wolves ran into the forest. He watched until he couldn’t see that familiar chocolate fur. He even continued to watch long after he stopped being able to hear the heavy fall of paws on the forest floor, and he probably would have continued to watch if Steve hadn’t come up to him.  
  
“Tony,” the Chief said quietly, and the alpha turned his head slowly. When their eyes met, Steve was surprised to see the pain so openly expressed in the other’s eyes as well as to see the small tracks of wetness down his cheeks where his tears had fallen. “Tony…”  
  
“It’s not a dream, is it?” the man said instead, and his voice was deep and gravelly and so filled with pain. “He’s really going to be gone when I wake up tomorrow, isn’t he?”  
  
Steve frowned at the clear heartbroken man, and he gave the faintest nod. “I’m sorry, Tony...”


	8. The Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!  
> I know the last chapter was emotional and short, so I hope this emotional AND long chapter makes up for it.  
> We got things coming, so I hope you guys are ready for it!  
> Much love and I hope you all enjoy.  
> I wanted to add that I don't know when I will be posting next as I currently have a family member that is very ill and will most likely not be with us much longer. She is extremely important to me, so I'm taking it really hard, so I don't know how much energy I'll have to write right away. Thank you for understanding.
> 
> Updated: 12/3/2018

Once his eyes had opened, Tony knew that something was wrong. It was cold, so much colder than it usually was, and when he looked down, there was no Peter pressed up against him. He frowned as he sat himself up, his head dropping into his hands.  
  
It had been two weeks since Peter left with the random pack that had shown up one night. It had been two weeks of sleeping alone, of waking up and realizing that it still wasn’t just a bad dream. That this was real.  
  
He still spent time standing around outside and watching the forest, hoping - _praying_ \- for a sign that Peter was coming back. Anything that showed that maybe he still did stand a chance. That all the time they had spent together wasn’t merely just a memory now, but he never saw a sign of the boy. Never got a whiff of lilacs. Never saw the soft chocolate fur that adorably curled at the tips. Never saw those chocolate eyes light up at the sight of him.  
  
Speaking of lilacs… He looked around the den and sighed softly. It was growing harder and harder to spend time in the place so full of memories of Peter. His scent still clung to everything in the den: his furs, the wood kept in the corner for his carvings, the air. There was no escaping the beautifully fragrant aroma when he was in his den, and as much as the scent caused silly butterflies to flutter in his gut, it caused his heart to ache. Why couldn’t this just be a bad dream?  
  
That wasn’t the only change to the scent of his den. Now Tony’s old scent was coming back, and it was beginning to make him sick. The disgusting scent of decaying wood coupled with sopping wet earth churned his own stomach.  
  
He had never even realized his scent had changed so much…  
  
Now, of course, he was painfully aware of just how many things had changed when Peter arrived. _You never know what you have until it’s gone,_ his brain reminded him, and he felt a prickling behind his eyes again.  
  
The one good thing in his life, the one thing going for him, and it was gone. His heart ached, and his wolf howled in loneliness, clawing at the back of his mind with the desperate need to go find the omega. But he knew it was no use. Peter had left because he wanted to. He left with people that had known him since he was a child. They were his actual home.  
  
 _But we could have been his mate,_ his brain reminded him. He sighed again and shook his head. This was not the time to be reminded of what he’d been too afraid and ashamed to think about before. It was over. Peter wasn’t coming back, and whatever his twisted brain had thought prior that might have been a possible connection was nothing more than that: a thought. Besides, Peter was in love with Bucky. That was another reason he left. He couldn’t stand to watch the man he was in love be happy with another. Tony didn’t even stand a chance at being Peter’s mate.  
  
Finally pulling himself from his thoughts and leaving his den, Tony walked into the center of the cave to see Bucky sitting by the fire with a lap full of a very squirmy Samuel. “What’s wrong with Sammy?” Tony asked as he sat beside the other.  
  
A small sigh left the omega’s lips. “I don’t know. He’s been fussy all night… It’s been bad ever since Peter left.”  
  
Tony frowned deeper at that. “Yeah… It has been pretty different.”  
  
Bucky frowned. “I’m sorry, Tony. I didn’t mean to,” he said before shifting Sammy in his arms to rest his little head on his mother’s shoulder.  
  
“No. It’s fine. We can’t just act like he was never here just because… Well, because of everything,” Tony said. He still hadn’t said the words, barely even let himself think about how hard he had fallen for the boy that was no longer present.  
  
Bucky frowned as he looked at the clearly heartbroken alpha. He might not be saying it out loud, but even a blind man could see just how much Tony had changed and fallen for the omega. Sammy let out a small whine, trying to leave his mother’s grasp again, and it broke him from his musings. “Shhh, Sammy, sweetie. Everything is okay.” He whispered to the boy, pulling him closer and nuzzling his small ear.  
  
“I should go see if the others need any help outside. Winter’s coming early this year,” Tony said to quickly leave the situation he had found himself in, and Bucky looked up at him and nodded. It was then that the alpha could finally see the dark bags under the omega’s eyes, and he realized just how little sleep the mother must have gotten last night. Turning away, Tony quickly went out of the cave to look for some of the others, leaving behind the faint scent of lilacs and the man that had stolen his omega’s heart.  
  
  
  
After spending the day outside of the cave keeping himself busy with wood chopping and the occasional last-minute gathering of medicinal herbs and anything else they could use, Tony finally returned to the pack. He had even managed to spend less than two hours searching for signs of Peter - a new record he might add. His day out hadn’t changed much within the pack though as there was a still stir within the members, and the pups were beginning to grow even more restless.  
  
All of the mothers were growing close to exhaustion as they confessed to nearly two weeks of horrible sleeping patterns and fussy babies.  “Why won’t they stop fussing? It’s never been this bad,” Hope sighed, shushing William softly, but the pup’s whimpers only seemed to grow louder.  
  
“I don’t know…” Bucky said with a sigh, taking Tristian into his arms.  
  
“Maybe they’re distressed because Peter is gone,” Wanda offered, resting heavily on Vision’s shoulder as Charleston finally seemed to slip into dreamland.  
  
“That is possible,” Stephen said from off to the side as he held one of Sam and Riley’s twins. It had to be really bad if they managed to rope him into helping. “Maybe they grew accustomed to his scent and presence.”  
  
A small scoff didn’t go unnoticed by the pack. Tony’s eyes locked onto a pair of sharp blue orbs, and a growl left his throat. “Got something to say?”  
  
Pepper sneered; “Actually yes. Why do you care if he’s gone?”  
  
“Because he’s a part of this pack.”  
  
“No, he was not, Tony! He’s a nobody that you just decided to take in!”  
  
“He was not a nobody!”  
  
“ Enough! ” Steve snapped, patience thinning drastically. “Enough with your quarreling, you’re upsetting the pups more.”  
  
Tony growled before turning away from Pepper, returning to his spot by Bucky’s side. He’d been spending more time with the omega since Peter had arrived, and now out of habit, he returned to that seat even if his wolf was growling softly in jealousy. “Tony, I need to talk to you,” Pepper stated as she approached the man.  
  
“I have nothing to say to you at this moment,” Tony growled, taking Tristian when the omega all but pushed him into his arms. Pepper sneered before walking out of the room, the sound of her footfall oddly echoing in the cave. The den had never seemed so cold and empty before… But that was practically an afterthought as something even odder occurred: Tristian almost instantly seemed to calm down in the alpha’s hold, and Bucky stared at him in awe.  
  
“I wonder why he likes you all of a sudden,” Bucky mumbled.  
  
Tony shrugged and merely held the small child, lightly resting his chin atop his blonde hair. “Do you care as long as he settles down?”  
  
“Not particularly,” Bucky responded, taking Trevor into his arms now. “I just wish we could calm them all down…”  
  
  
  
The rest of the day was absolute hell. The pups never once settled for longer than an hour. Everyone was beginning to grow a bit testy as nerves grew sharper with each passing moment. Tony was having a hard time ignoring the desperate itch to go find Peter. He knew the boy had left on his own accord, but the pack was falling apart without him. Surely he’d come back because of that, right?  
  
They had figured out that the faint scent of Peter still clinging to Tony’s skin was calming the pups, and with the alpha’s permission, they dragged out one of the furs that Peter often slept on and laid the pups out on it. They seemed to settle most when they were lying on the fur, but when the small bear had tumbled out from the folds, Tony nearly broke. He hadn’t even realized that Peter had forgotten his bear when he left, but now, the pups all seemed to be squirming to be close to it since it held the scent of lilacs stronger than anything else in the entire den.  
  
The realization that he wasn’t the only one that needed Peter back had him making up his mind. Even if Peter didn’t need Tony himself, he’d take just being able to see the boy on a daily basis. And Peter adored the pups, so trying to convince him that it was bad for them for him to be gone, maybe that would be enough to convince him.  
  
“I’m going to look for him,” Tony said suddenly, pushing himself up from the rock he was sitting on.  
  
“Tony, you have no idea where he is,” Bucky said softly. He was truly beginning to look completely exhausted now as his shoulders stayed slumped and his head was slightly hung, bangs falling in his eyes.  
  
“He said the mountains in the east,” Tony replied, walking towards the exit of the den.  
  
“Tony, it’s too late to go out. It’s probably nightfall by now,” Steve cut in.  
  
Tony was practically itching in his skin. He needed to find Peter, and he needed to find the boy _now_. “I have to go find him, Steve.” The tall blonde looked up at the man from his spot beside his mate, and there was that odd look again. “Oh, don’t give me that look!”  
  
“What look?” Steve asked.  
  
“The stupid studying look you give me! You’ve been doing it since Peter got here,” Tony huffed.  
  
Steve merely raised a single, blonde brow. “You do realize you’ve been acting different since he arrived.” The small chorus of confirmations from the rest of the pack had Tony’s skin crawling and the wolf inside of him growling once again.  
  
“Why does everyone act like I’m the bad guy for taking care of an injured kid?”  
  
“We’re not acting like you’re the bad guy, Tony,” Rhodey said with a sigh.  
  
“Yes, you are! You’ve always acted like I had other motives for helping him besides just not wanting the kid to die!” His voice was beginning to raise as his frustration peaked.  
  
“Did you?” Natasha asked, looking curiously at the man.  
  
“No! I didn’t! I helped the kid because he was on death’s door when I found him!”  
  
“Is that really it though?” Clint asked, pausing in his eating to actually give his two cents on the situation.  
  
“Yes, that’s it!” Tony snapped.  
  
“Tony,” Steve started, Chief voice beginning to creep out.  
  
“No, don’t you _dare_ do that! I helped the kid because he was dying. He didn’t have anyone, and you’re all acting like I’m some monster for trying to be there for him!”  
  
“Tony, we’re not acting like you’re a monst-”  
  
“Then why do you all have to ask a million times if what I’m doing is alright? Why do you tell me every time I see any of you ‘be careful’?” he snarled.  
  
“Because you’ve changed since he came,” Rhodey started to say.  
  
“Changed how?” snapped Tony.  
  
“Tony!” The Chief’s command had completely risen into Steve’s voice, and the entirety of the pack seemed to shrink slightly, even the tense alpha standing away from the others. “You have changed. You have never cared for anyone like you care for Peter, and do not cut me off when I am speaking,” snarled the Chief as Tony opened his mouth to speak. The alpha quickly shut his mouth and glared at the Chief as much as he was able to given the current situation. “Ever since Peter joined us, you have been a different man. It’s not a bad thing. You’ve become more hands-on with the pack and with the pups. You spend more time with us than you ever have before. You’re more tender and gentler than you ever have been when you’re with him. We’ve never thought that was a bad thing. We never thought that there was anything wrong with you helping Peter and caring for him. We only have been curious about the nature of your care.”  
  
“What do you mean the nature of my care?” Tony sneered. “I have to explain why I care about someone now?”  
  
“That’s not what I said,” Steve began.  
  
“That’s exactly what you said!” shouted the other.  
  
“Well maybe if you’d admit to there being more than just a protective instinct, maybe we’d actually believe you,” Steve growled.  
  
“What’s it matter if I had more than a ‘protective instinct’,” Tony sneered, “I’m not the one the kid wanted.”  
  
Clint scoffed; “If you think that, you’re blind, Tony.”  
  
Tony growled at the man. “What’s that supposed to mean?”  
  
“It means the kid has had a soft spot for you since he arrived.”  
  
“No, he hasn’t. He wants Bucky.”  
  
The mentioned omega laughed at that, and Tony bristled at the almost mocking sound. “Tony, do you really think Peter wanted me?” The alpha growled at the tone, and Bucky rolled his eyes at the reaction. “I thought you were smart, Tony. Who’s the one that Peter was always clinging to? Who’s the one he was always talking about? Who’s the one he lit up for when they walked in the room?”  
  
Tony frowned, gaze dropping to the ground as he thought about Bucky’s words. He thought back to the moments when Bucky would walk into the room, and he could only remember the omega smiling and happily talking to the other, but was that the same as lighting up?  
  
A different memory came to mind. The time when he surprised Peter with a wood carving of a set of three wolves, two large and one small: a replica of Peter’s aunt and uncle and himself. The boy had broken into tears and clung tightly to him, thanking him over and over while practically curling himself against Tony’s chest. As well as the times when Peter would have nightmares and all but crawl into Tony’s arms. Even the times when Peter’s eyes would shine brightly when he came back from a day out and his smile would be so wide it seemed like it was painful.  
  
“Oh, my God…” Tony whispered as he realized it. His head came up and his eyes locked on Bucky’s whose stormy blues were holding a knowing but also sad look. “It was me, wasn’t it?”  
  
Bucky frowned before nodding slightly. “It’s always been you.”  
  
Tony’s wolf cried in pain, and the man suddenly felt a flare of anger so strong that it felt as if his blood was boiling under his skin. How had he been so _stupid?_  
  
“I have to go,” Tony said, making to turn towards the cave entrance again. He was ready to bolt, to run as fast and hard as he had to to get to the mountains in the east. He had to go and get Peter back. How had he been so stupid to miss that it was him?  
  
“No, you’re not,” a voice from behind him said. Pepper had just emerged from the entrance of the cave, arms full of fresh wood and snow in her blonde hair. “There’s a storm outside.”  
  
“Snow? This soon?” Wanda asked when she caught sight of the flakes in Pepper’s hair. They knew winter was coming early, but it had to be barely into the month of November.  
  
“Yeah. I think it’s a blizzard too. The wind is stronger than it has been in passing weeks, and it was nearly impossible to see.”  
  
Tony paled as he thought about the possibility of Peter out in a storm like this while his back leg was still weak from his injury, especially up in the mountains where they were known to get several more feet than anywhere else. “I’m not leaving him out there.”  
  
“You don’t even know exactly where he is,” Rhodey sighed.  
  
“I don’t care.” Panic was beginning to set in again, and Tony could feel how his wolf was clawing at his mind to get outside and look for the omega. “I need to find him. He left because of me.”  
  
“Give it a rest, Tony. He left on his own accord, just leave him be,” Pepper said as she dropped the wood onto the pile near the fire.

 

“Left on his own accord…? He left because he thought he wasn’t welcomed in the pack, that he was a danger!”

 

“He  _ was _ a danger to the pack,” Pepper replied, shrugging as she tidied the stack in the corner.

 

“How was he a danger to the pack?” Tony growled, his panic quickly spreading into his tone as he fought harder to resist every instinct telling him to run out into the storm that very moment.

 

“Really, Tony?” Pepper asked, turning and looking at the man with a raised brow.

 

“What?” he snapped.

 

She growled softly at his tone, eyes narrowing. “First, why do you even care that he’s gone? It’s not like he was your mate.” Tony frowned, his wolf whining as he was painfully reminded about his clear lack of observation these past few weeks. “God, you look like a kicked puppy. What is it with you and this brat?” she scoffed.

 

“He’s not a brat,” Tony spat, another growling coming from deep within his throat.

 

“Oh, stop it,” Pepper sighed, rolling her eyes and walking towards the alpha. “Calm down, Tony. This is a good thing for you, for us. Now we don’t have a brat getting in the way, and we can spend time together again.”

 

Tony frowned at her words. “What…”

 

“Come on,” Pepper said with a smirk, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “No brat in the way, we can finally be together again.”

 

“Together again?” he repeated slowly. There was confusion clear in his tone and expression, but Pepper didn’t seem to notice the change.

 

“Mmhmm,” Pepper hummed, kissing the alpha’s chin. “You know, we can actually settle down and bond.”

 

Tony blinked slowly; “Bond…? Wait. What?’ he asked, pushing her back and holding her at arm's length to look down into her eyes. 

 

Pepper frowned at him, a furrow developing between her brows and a darkness settling in her eyes. “You… didn’t actually want to bond with  _ him _ , did you?” she said slowly.

 

“Pep,” Tony started, the confusion in his own eyes only growing. “We broke up months ago.”

 

“Br-Broke up?” she repeated slowly, pulling away from the man entirely. “Broke up? No, Tony, we took a  _ break _ because you said you weren’t ready.”

 

“We took a break almost  _ six  _ months ago, Pep,” Tony argued, “Did you really think we were getting back together? We haven’t talked about it in months.”

 

“Because you were too preoccupied with the brat!” She argued defensively.

 

“Don’t call him that,” Tony growled again. “How many times do I have to tell you to not call him a brat?”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Let me fix that. You were too preoccupied with an underage, bratty  _ whore _ to even give me the fucking time of day,” she snarled.

 

A growl deeper and more threatening than any before it immediately ripped from Tony’s throat as he glared down at her. “Don’t you  _ dare _ call him a whore!”   
  


“I’ll call the little shit whatever I damn please,” she hissed. “God, I thought you just actually felt sorry for the stupid kid. I knew he was all over you, but I never thought you’d be the same. Seriously, Tony? Seriously?”

 

“Seriously what?” he snapped.

 

“Some young piece of ass walks in and suddenly I’m old news? Really? I’m your fucking bondmate!”

 

“You are  _ not _ my bondmate!” Tony growled once more. “If you were my bondmate, you’d be wearing my mark!”

 

“I’m only not wearing it because you ‘weren’t ready’ to settle down and commit!”

 

“No, you’re not wearing it because I don’t love you anymore!”

 

_ Oh, no _ , Tony thought after the words had fallen from his lips. He watched as emotions flashed through Pepper’s eyes: the pain, the anger, the sheer betrayal.

 

“What did you just say?” she asked slowly, and Tony knew that there was no going back now, so he took a deep breath and steadied his nerves.

 

“Pep, how many times have we had this argument? How many times have you asked me to bond and I’ve said no? How many times have we broken up?”

 

“No, Tony, I asked  _ what did you say _ ?” She growled.

 

“Pep…” he sighed, glancing away before locking on her gaze once more. “I don’t love you anymore.” The sharp sound that echoed throughout the main portion of the cave left everyone startled, but as Tony reached up to cradle his now throbbing cheek, it was clear what happened.

 

Pepper stood there with her hand still partially raised, tears building in the corner of her eyes. “You don’t  _ love me anymore? _ When the fuck did you figure that out?” she snapped.

 

Tony looked away again, rubbing his sore cheek and sighing softly. “Three years ago.”

 

“Three? Three…? You knew three fucking years ago, and you didn’t say a fucking thing!”

 

“I broke up with you three years ago! I broke up with you four years, five years ago, hell, even eight years ago! I’ve broken up with you several times in the past three years!”

 

“But we always get back together!”

 

“Because you beg me to!” He sighed in frustration, running his hands through his hair and tugging on it violently. “Fucking hell, Pep, when the fuck was the last time I told you I loved you? Really, when was the last time?”

 

“You-You-”

 

“I-I,” Tony mocked in his anger, sneering at her, “four years ago. I last told you I loved you before we broke up  _ four fucking years ago _ !”

 

“Why did you let it go on then?” she snapped, hands curling into fists. Tony was minutely scared he was about to feel a lot more than just a throbbing cheek from a slap soon.

 

“I,” he started, trying to think of why he honestly  _ had _ been letting it continue. “I don’t know. I guess I thought that maybe time would fix it, or we’d actually stay broken up.”

 

“That still doesn’t make any sense,” she argued. “You’ve always agreed to get back together, so you must still love me!”

 

“How long did it take for you to  _ convince _ me to get back together, Pep? Why do you think I’ve always hesitated to get back together? Why do you think I’ve always tried to get you to see someone else?” Pepper quickly shook her head, not believing the words that were coming from Tony’s mouth. “Pep… I’m not the right person for you. I don’t think I ever have been.”

 

“But I love you, Tony,” she quickly cut in, looking up at the mentioned male with tears slipping down her cheeks. “Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

 

“Love changes. I mean, I love you, but I love you like a sister. I think it’s always been like that. We just always tried to make it into something more.”

 

“No, that’s not true. None of this is true,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “This is all just because of that stupid brat,” she scoffed.

 

“Pep, this doesn’t have anything to do with Peter,” Tony tried to argue.

 

“Oh, don’t lie to me, Tony,” she growled, glaring at the man. “It has nothing to do with him?” Pepper mocked, a humorless laugh spilling from her lips. “You’re a madman! You’ve been nothing but a lovesick idiot since that brat showed up! You use to look at me like that! You use to hold me like that! And now that some pretty little young thing showed up, you’re telling me you don’t love me anymore?”

  
“It’s not like that!” Tony tried to explain.   
  
“It’s exactly like that!” Pepper shouted, seemingly having reached her wit's end. “It is one hundred percent exactly like that, Tony, and you know it! I don’t believe you for a minute that you’ve been feeling this way for years!”   
  
“Then you’re the one being delusional, Pep! Come on. We’re just going in circles like we always do,” he growled as his own frustration peaked. “It’s been four fucking years since I told you I loved you, doesn’t  _ that _ mean anything? Doesn’t that say that something is wrong? Doesn’t that show that it’s not Peter’s fault? We’ve gotten back together at least six times since then, and I have never once told you I loved you. Not once. In fact, I particularly remember telling you flat out that maybe you should spend your heat with someone else.”   
  
She growled in anger at his words, still refusing to believe everything he had to say. “It doesn’t matter!”   
  
“It  _ does  _ matter!”   
  
“No, it doesn’t!”   
  
“Yes, it does, Pep, because it’s been years since I’ve felt for you what you feel for me.”   
  
“It’s been years, but you only care to tell me because the kid showed up?”   
  
“I tried to tell you before,” he groaned, running a hand down his face before hissing softly as it dragged along the still tender skin of his left cheek.   
  
“But you only  _ really  _ cared to tell me when he showed up!”   
  
“That’s because I love  _ him _ !” Tony finally admitted, his patience snapping. He had kept the secret close to himself, never even truly admitting it in his thoughts, even though he knew it was true. Not that it stopped anyone else from figuring it out apparently…   
  
Waking up next to Peter had been a gift these past few months. Seeing those chocolate eyes shining up at him when he came into the room or seeing that sweet, shy smile whenever the alpha got close. It never ceased to make Tony’s chest ache. And seeing Peter surrounded by pups? He would be lying to himself if he ever said that he couldn’t see himself and Peter tangled up with a pup of their own. How the hell had he not noticed that the other felt the same way, he still didn’t know, but he was hellbent to at least tell the omega his feelings and see if he still had a chance.   
  
Pepper laughed again, laughed so hard that she doubled over and held her stomach as cackle upon cackle left her lips. “You’re in love with him? You? In love with that noisy, ungrateful whore?”   
  
Tony snarled, a deep and predatory sound ripping from his throat as he stalked towards the woman. “I told you before don’t call him that.”   
  
“Oh? Did I touch a nerve? Did I ruin your precious image of the brat?” she asked mockingly.   
  
Tony snarled in response and took another menacing step forward. “Do not call him  _ that _ ,” he was speaking much slower, venom dripping from his words as his hair stood on end.   
  
“And I told you, I’ll call him whatever I like,” Pepper sneered as she took a step towards the alpha.   
  
“You will not call him that!”   
  
“Call him what? A whore? Why not? He is one!”   
  
“He is not a whore!”   
  
“He’s an unclaimed omega who’d sleep with any alpha in a ten-mile radius if his heat kicked in. Don’t think you’re special!”   
  
Tony snarled and just as he reached out to do what-he-didn’t-even-know, he was stopped by a hand on his wrist. “Tony,” Steve said, once again using his Chief’s voice. “Let it go.”   
  
Tony growled and shook the other alpha off before stepping away from both Pepper and Steve. He turned and looked at the much taller male, his tone serious and holding no room for argument. “I’m going to go look for him, and you’re not going to stop me.”   
  
“You need to wait until the storm is over to look for him, Tony,” Steve said in a level voice, talking a bit softer than normal. “It’s too dangerous.”   
  
“He could die out there.”   
  
“And you could die looking for him,” Steve replied instantly.   
  
“Your entire world is sitting right over there,” Tony said softly, glancing to where Bucky was sitting with three small children in his arms. “Your everything is safely right next to you. Mine is outside  _ somewhere _ . I’m going to go get him.”   
  
Steve visibly softened at Tony’s words, and he reached out, gently squeezing the other’s shoulder before giving him a small nod. “Be careful, and no matter what happens, if you need help, call us.”   
  
Tony nodded before stepping back from the Chief, casting one quick look at the varying shocked faces of his packmates. He quickly turned away, shifting into his wolf form and running out of the entrance to their cave and directly into the storm.


	9. The Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys.
> 
> I finally got this chapter finished. I wanted to finish this earlier, but it's been truly hectic in my personal life. My grandmother (who was the ill family member I had) passed away, and my family has been working on a lot of personal things involved in that. I will hopefully post again soon because I do enjoy the distraction writing brings me, but I cannot promise how soon it will be as I start school again soon. I do promise however that I will finish this story, and there is quite a bit more I have planned.
> 
> Thank you for understanding. Much love and please enjoy.
> 
> Updated: 12/3/2018

The snow was already several inches deep by the time Tony had gone out. The wind was like ice as it whipped his fur back and sent violent chills through his body. If he was this cold, he could only imagine that Peter must be freezing up in the mountains.  
  
Everyone had heard the stories that the mountains would receive twice if not three times as harsh of a winter as anywhere else. Given the fact that they were currently in the middle of a blizzard unlike Tony had seen in years, the mountains had probably been suffering for hours if not a day or two by now, and Peter was still so small…  
  
The omega was not nearly as boney as he once was. He'd gained some muscle, and his ribs and spine no longer protruded from his pale skin, but he was still severely underweight by everyone's standard. He’d freeze to death in this cold given his lack of fat.  
  
Tony moved as quickly as he was able to given his lack of sight, especially now that the image of his omega suffering from the cold was filling his mind. He was barely able to see a foot in front of himself, and his visibility worsened as the minutes past. Did he know how long he had been outside looking for his omega? No. But he knew he wasn’t about to stop either unless he collapsed in exhaustion.  
  
So far though he hadn’t seen a single sign of the other. His instincts were fizzling out, unable to truly locate what he wanted with his mind in such a hazy and chaotic state. He needed to find something, even if it was only a direction, that he could go in. He needed something to help him find where Peter’s new pack had gone. All he knew was the mountains to the east, but he was barely even able to tell the direction given the strength of the storm.  
  
Pausing to take in a few deep breaths, Tony lightly rested against a tree. In his jittery state, he’d barely eaten today, and he was certainly beginning to run out of energy, but he knew he couldn’t stop. Not without Peter. Not without a sign.  
  
He pushed himself up and began to walk again when a harsh gust of wind hit him in the face. Tony would have been upset except for the scent that was carried with it: lilacs. His heart started beating quicker in his chest as he ran in the direction that the wind had come from. It was his first sign of Peter, and he was not about to let it go.  
  
He ended up running at least a three miles, and the more steps he took, the stronger the scent grew. Tony broke through the treeline and saw the riverbank before he stopped. This is exactly where he found Peter the first time, and his heart ached painfully as he thought about the first day he had ever seen the small omega.  
  
Tony tried desperately to push the thoughts away as he walked towards the river cautiously. He examined it for any sign of Peter, and his heart leaped into his throat when the wind carried the scent of lilacs from deep within the forest on the other side of the bank.  
  
He quickly moved closer to the edge, checking the ice layer that had formed over the river before rushing across. His foot broke the ice just as he reached the other side of the river, and he cursed softly as the cold quickly worsened from the water.  
  
 _Can’t stop, can’t stop,_ he told himself over and over as he pushed deeper into unknown territory. It was only a few miles in when he stopped. There hidden in the snow was an oddly shaped lump. He quickly bounded over to the lump and began digging at it.  
  
Chocolate fur began to be revealed underneath the mound of snow, and Tony felt his heart leap into his throat. Lying there, breathing slowly, was Peter. He lightly nudged the boy, but nothing happened. He saw how slow his chest was moving, and he began moving that much quicker while still trying to be gentle and not hurt the boy.  
  
Once the small wolf was fully out from the snow, Tony stuck his nose under the boy and slowly began moving and sliding the small omega onto his back. He knew it was too cold for him to shift into human form and carry Peter back, so he had to get the wolf onto his back and carry him home this way. It was not nearly as stable, but it’d have to do.  
  
When Peter was awkwardly draped over Tony’s back, the alpha began to move back towards his own territory, careful to not walk too quickly for fear of the omega sliding off. The trek home was long and tedious much more so than the first time Tony had brought Peter home, and the twelve or so miles felt like hours.  
  
By the time he was at the bottom of the cliff, he was panting and utterly exhausted, having used all his stored energy. _Help me?_ He asked tiredly. It seemed before he had even finished the requested, a massive dirty blonde wolf was at the mouth of the cave.  
  
 _You found him?_ Steve said as he started climbing down, and a few other alphas, like Thor, Rhodey, and Clint, were quick to join him.  
  
 _Underneath the snow, a couple of miles over our border. He’s unconscious and cold._ Tony said through the pack mind link, and he could feel the rumble of the rest of the pack deep within the caves.  
  
 _We’ll set him by the fire,_ Natasha said.  
  
Tony nodded tiredly, letting Thor take Peter from his back and watching as the larger alpha carried him up into the cave in his bipedal form. Rhodey came down to help him as the exhaustion and stress from the day really began to take its toll.  
  
 _What was he doing out randomly in the middle of a storm?_ Bucky asked, and Tony could hear a bit of that scolding mother’s tone - that the omega had sometimes - slipping through.  
  
 _No idea…_ Tony wobbled slightly in exhaustion, but Rhodey was there to help support him on his right side. With the help of Rhodey, he was able to get up the side of the cliff and back to solid ground.  
  
When he saw the small chocolate lump in front of the fire, Tony walked himself right over it before lying down behind the other. His larger frame wrapped completely around the omega, sheltering him from any possible wind from outside. His eyes were barely open as he watched a few of the others move around in bipedal forms.  
  
He didn’t particularly pay attention to much, but when a few small little wolves came rushing over to cuddle into Peter’s open side, he smiled. The pack’s pups were all squirming and fussing to get close to the young omega, but once they were there, they all instantly quieted down and fell into a deep sleep. Sammy had even come over carrying the bear that was nearly as big as himself.  
  
He really hadn’t been the only one bothered by the omega’s absence this week, had he? With that thought on his mind and the slowly warming body heat against his front, Tony fell into his own deep sleep.  
  
  
  
When morning came, it was the sounds of the pack that disturbed Tony’s rest. He opened his eyes to see a mass of pups all playing and bouncing on a small form with a mess of curls atop his head. Peter! Tony’s brain practically screamed, and he quickly shifted back into his bipedal self before moving towards the small group.  
  
“Peter,” he whispered.  
  
The small omega turned his head towards the other, blushing faintly. “Uh… Hi, alpha,” he whispered back.  
  
“Are you okay?” Tony asked quickly as he moved to be directly beside the boy. “Are you still cold? Anything hurt?”  
  
Peter smiled gently and reached out to lightly touch the man’s shoulder. “I’m okay, alpha, but you shouldn’t have gone out in the storm to get me.” He frowned before looking down at Christian who was currently gnawing on his fingers. The small pup looked up at him and seemed to smile with his eyes before letting out a happy bark.  
  
“Speaking of that storm, what were you doing out in it?” Tony frowned, slipping his fingers into the boy’s curls and pulling him into a hug. “If I hadn’t gone out there, you could have died… You were unconscious in the snow.”  
  
Peter seemed to tense in his arms, and Tony heard a small sigh before a chin was softly resting on his shoulder. “I’m sorry…”  
  
Tony said nothing for a moment, content to simply hold the boy close to him and breath in the scent of lilacs. “Why were you out there?” he finally asked again.  
  
The omega let out a small noise that was close to a sob, and Tony pulled back to see tears in the boy’s eyes. Peter looked down at the happy pups in his lap, lightly petting over soft furs of various shades or giving little scratches behind their ears. “I-I-I…” He was quiet for several moments, and Tony couldn’t even imagine what the boy was thinking.  
  
  
  
_Three days. It took three days to return to the east mountains where Quill’s pack resided. Normally the journey was only a day and a half, but with Peter’s weak leg, it was still exceptionally difficult for him to run for long._ _  
_ _  
_ _He was actually always trying to hide when his leg would get weak or when his knees threatened to give out. It took a few hours for anyone to notice the first time. “Oi, brat!” Rocket had called when they paused for the third time. “Why the hell are you so damn slow?”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“S-Sorry,” Peter said softly, trying to hide the fact he was rubbing at his sore leg. “Just got a little bit of a cramp, I think.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _The others had shrugged it off, but Gamora had quickly appeared beside him. “Is that the leg you broke?” she asked softly. Peter glanced up at her, not wanting to admit it, so he merely shook his head. “Peter…” she warned softly, “is it?”_ _  
_ _  
_ _It took him a moment, but he nodded and eventually agreed. “Y-Yeah…” Gamora had frowned and took it upon herself to make sure the group took frequent pauses and even kept everyone moving at a slower pace to prevent any further irritation to Peter’s weak leg._ _  
_ _  
_ _When they had arrived at the camp, it was to the great exhaustion and slight annoyance of the pack. Peter had slipped away to where Gamora had said he would be staying, and he stayed there, hidden away for the rest of the first week._ _  
_ _  
_ _Two days into the second week with Quill’s pack and the nightmares returned. They had actually been reduced to quite infrequently while he was back with Tony and the others. He had had one or two in the passing months, but even those ones weren’t truly as bad as they once were._ _  
_ _  
_ _This night though has Peter shooting up in a cold sweat. He’d awoken from his dream with tears streaming down his cheeks, and his breathing harsh. His hands were already reaching out to his left, desperately in search for the man whose bed he shared. When he found nothing but the coldness of rock, a new batch of tears arose._ _  
_ _  
_ _Burying his face in his knees, sobs racked through the small omega’s frame, shaking his body furiously. “Alpha…” he hiccuped, hiding deeper against his bony knees. It had been months since Peter had felt so truly alone as he did right now._ _  
_ _  
_ _He used to warm arms holding him. Rough, calloused fingers wiping his tears away or running through his hair. Slightly chapped lips pressing against his forehead or hair. All of them helped to ground him, and yet none of them were here now._ _  
_ _  
_ _Now he was entirely alone without any of the comforts he hadn’t even realized he took for granted. There was no Bucky, no pups, no Tony… He didn’t even have his bear or even the carving Tony had made for him. He hadn’t realized he’d forgotten them until they had already left and were too far to go back. Besides, the idea of turning back for that reason caused his cheeks to light up in a horrible blush. He’d always been the youngest, but he really didn’t want people to only see his age, and going back for a stuffed bear would certainly make him look the child he often fought against being called._ _  
_ _  
_ _Resting his head on his folded arms, Peter sniffled and stared blankly at the wall beside him. His current den was much smaller than Tony’s, and it lacked the warm scent of sandalwood and the freshness of an ended storm. It lacked the laughter and the stories; the nighttime tales that would chase away any stressors of the day. The soft furs the alpha had always made sure covered all the jagged rock edges and air-cooled skin. It lacked… Tony._ _  
_ _  
_ _Peter knew that he was being stupid. He had chosen this. He had chosen to leave behind Tony and the pack to come with Quill and his own. He was just being the kid even though he rebelled against the notion. That’s what Pepper would say at least._ _  
_ _  
_ _Bitterness filled his mouth as he thought about Pepper. It was unfair that she had gotten to stay with Tony when they weren’t even bonded, and yet he, who admitted was sleeping in the same area as the alpha, had to leave._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Get a grip, Peter,” he huffed to himself, shaking his head. “You weren’t his mate. You have no reason to be upset.”_ _But we could have been_ _, a small voice deep in his mind said._ _  
_ _  
_ _Fresh tears spilled down his cheeks as the thoughts returned. It was all he had wanted. He had never felt safer and more secure than when he was with Tony, not even when he was with May and Ben. The man had always protected him and made him feel content. He had gone out of his way to always make sure that Peter was happy and safe. He always did little things for him just to make him smile._ _  
_ _  
_ _Well… he thought he did. He thought it was like the courting May had told him about when he presented. He thought it was like when an alpha or beta would try and impress an omega to try and win them over to earn the right to mate and bond, but he was clearly wrong. Tony was just one of those people: a kind and gentle soul who tried to help those in need._ _  
_ _  
_ _Shaking his head quickly, Peter turned away from everything to lie back down. Maybe he could sleep some more…_ _  
_ _  
__  
__  
__For every day that Peter spent with Quill’s pack, for every day that they tried to bring him out of his shell, every night was filled with torment. Nightmares continually plagued him every moment his eyes slipped closed. There was not a single night where he wasn’t awoken by the horrors in his dreams._ _  
_ _  
_ _It took nearly a week of constant distress for someone to speak up._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Hey, brat,” Rocket called, looking around Groot’s hulking frame to catch a better look at Peter. The omega slowly looked up from his lap to regard the rough beta, and yet he still missed how the man seemed to soften slightly at his haggard appearance. “You, uh, sure you’re alright?”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“I’m fine,” Peter said softly, looking back down at the bone in his hand before taking a small bite. He’d been doing that a lot lately, moving slower than normal._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Peter,” Gamora started._ _  
_ _  
_ _“I’m okay, really.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“Kid,” Quill spoke up, frowning at the small omega who had grown quieter and quieter as the days passed. “You’ve barely eaten in days. You nibble and make it look like you’ve eaten more than you have before passing it off. Don’t think we haven’t noticed.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Peter frowned before shrugging his small shoulders. What little fat that he had managed to put on in his time with Tony’s pack was quickly leaving him, but he didn’t seem to put any effort into preventing that. He was quickly turning more skeletal again, no matter what they all tried to do. “I… I just…”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Suddenly warm hands were wrapping around his, and Peter raised his gaze to meet Gamora’s own. “Peter,” she said sadly, frowning at the boy._ _  
_ _  
_ _“I… I miss him,” he whispered, tears suddenly slipping past his lashes and down his cheeks. “Every night I suffer nightmares about losing him, and when I wake up, I realize they’re true…”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Gamora’s lips upturned slightly at the boy’s words, and she gently squeezed his hands before reaching up to wipe the tears away from his cheeks. “Why did you leave him then?” she asked softly, not mocking or admonishing but merely curious._ _  
_ _  
_ _“I was a danger to have around,” he confessed, eyes returning downcast. “An unbonded and unclaimed omega in a pack… I could have caused the death of everyone just like I caused May and Ben’s.” A sob broke through the last few words, and Peter’s small frame shook from the strength of his pain._ _  
_ _  
_ _“Peter,” Gamora spoke, reaching around the boy and pulling him into a tight embrace. “You are not to blame for their deaths. The people that attacked you are to blame.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“But they never would have attacked them if it wasn’t for me!” Peter sobbed, hiding his face against the woman’s shoulder. “They would have come back! They would have found me again! If they found me, the pack, the pups, Tony… they’d all be at risk…”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Gamora held the boy tighter to her frame, rubbing along the boy’s back soothingly. “Peter… You wouldn’t bring death to them, not if this alpha you speak so highly of acts as you say.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Peter hiccuped softly before shaking his head. “He doesn’t want me like that.”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“Peter,” Gamora’s voice grew sterner as she tilted his chin up even though he actively avoided her gaze. “Peter, look at me.” She waited a moment until teary, red-rimmed brown eyes met hers. “I saw the way that man looked at you. You might not have seen it, but I did. He wouldn't want you more .”_ _  
_ _  
_ _Peter had glanced down before meeting her eyes once more, longing and hope once more filling those orbs before that saddest returned. “It hurts… It hurts to not be with him…”_ _  
_ _  
_ _“Then go,” Gamora said with a smile, “Go back to him, Peter. Go home.”_ __  
  
  
  
“I… I missed you…” he admitted, keeping his gaze lowered and rubbing his free hand roughly against his eyes. “I missed you and the pups and the pack so much it hurt. I knew I had made the wrong decision. That I should have stayed here, but… But with everything Pepper had said, I thought I would be a danger to have around. I was scared that someone else would come into the territory looking for me. We were lucky that it was Quill’s pack, but there was always a chance that it could be someone else. I couldn’t risk everyone for my selfishness, but I just missed you so much,” he sobbed.  
  
“You know we would have found a way to protect everyone. You didn’t have to leave,” Tony said softly, lightly cupping the omega’s cheek and stroking away the tears clinging to his lashes while fighting his own set.  
  
Peter gave the other a watery smile, leaning into the warm touch that he had missed so dearly. “I’m sorry...” he whispered.  
  
“Don’t apologize, Peter,” Tony frowned as he spoke.  
  
Shaking his head, the omega pulled back slightly, moving Tristian, who was gnawing on his twin’s ear, over a bit as he shifted. He was suddenly filled with an overwhelming nervousness. “I shouldn’t have come back... There’s no reason for me to be here. I should have just stayed… I’m just being a child,” he admonished himself softly.  
  
“That’s not true!” Tony said quickly - too quickly and too loud. Peter flinched at the noise, and Tony quickly broke into apologies as his volume dropped back down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be loud, but it’s not true. We want you here. The whole pack wants you here.” He swallowed the slight lump in his throat, trying to gain a bit of the courage he had last night; “I-I want you here.”  
  
Peter looked up from under his curls, staring at the man before looking away and muttering to himself; “Not like I want you.”  
  
Tony was lucky he was close enough to hear the boy’s words as the pups started to bark and began playing more energetically. Apparently, one night sleeping beside the omega was enough to recharge all of their batteries, and now they were back to their usual high-energy selves. “What do you mean?”  
  
The omega paled at Tony’s question, shaking his head quickly. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”  
  
“Peter,” Tony pressed only to watch the omega curl into himself as tears began falling from his eyes again. He just didn’t want to make this worse...  
  
“You don’t want me like I want you,” he whispered, voice breaking on the last syllable.  
  
The alpha frowned before leaning in closer, lightly resting his forehead against the boy’s head as his nose nudged against the soft skin of his cheek. He spoke in a hushed whisper, one so unlike his usual tone. “You have no idea how badly I want you.”  
  
Peter let out a self-deprecating laugh, pulling away from the elder slightly. “You have a mate. You have Pepper.”  
  
“Pepper and I aren’t mates, Peter,” Tony said with a deeper frown.  
  
“She told me you were,” he said softly, his voice sounding as small and vulnerable as he felt.  
  
“That’s because she wanted us to be. We’ve tried to make it work, and it never has. I’ve tried to end it multiple times, but we always ended up back together just to break up again. I told you that,” Tony said, lightly playing with the curls at the base of Peter’s neck. “I can’t picture a life with her like I can with you,” he admitted quietly, closing his eyes against his own rush of emotions.  
  
A small hitch in the boy’s breathing was the only sign that he had heard Tony’s words at first. After a moment, he was being moved, and Tony opened his eyes to look into a pair of hopeful chocolate orbs. “What do you mean?” Peter asked just as soft, his breath falling over Tony’s lips.  
  
Amber eyes flicked to pink lips before locking back on chocolate. “I love you,” he breathed.  
  
The quickest set of emotions ran through those eyes before those pink lips were pressing into his own. Both males closed their eyes, and Tony’s arm wrapped around that lithe waist as Peter’s arms wounded tightly around the alpha’s neck. It was a bit awkward given their positions and the pups squirming in the omega’s lap, but it was filled with the deepest emotions that Tony’s ever felt.  
  
“I love you too...” Peter whispered against Tony’s lips when they finally pulled away for air, both foreheads and noses pressed against each other, “... my alpha.”  
  
The smile that spread across Tony’s lips must have been the largest in his entire life. His thumb brushed across those delicate lips before he whispered his own words; “Yours.”


	10. The Confusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!  
> So, uh, it's been rough recently, and I've had a hard time trying to work on things, but I really wanted to work on this again. I don't know how quickly I'll be updating, but I figured you guys might like a new chapter while I had it.  
> Thanks for standing by me and being some of the sweetest people ever. I really appreciate it.  
> Lots of love to all of you <3
> 
> Updated: 12/22/2018

Peter spent the rest of his morning playing with the pups while Tony went and talked to Steve and some of the other alphas. It was wonderful being back. The pups were exactly as they always were, running around while playing and bouncing on him. He had even gotten the wonderful surprise of seeing some of them transform back into their human forms.   
  
It was Liliya first. Peter had looked away to check and make sure that none of them had gotten too close to the cave entrance when a small sneeze coupled with a squeal had shocked him into looking back at where the blue pup once was. A small girl with strawberry blonde wavy hair and the biggest pair of green eyes was sitting on a fur hide, giggling to herself. Peter gasped; “Lili?”   
  
A louder giggle left the little girl, and chubby hands reached out for him. Peter scooped up the little one and nuzzled her rosy cheek before covering her face in kisses. “Oh, you’re so cute!” She just kept giggling and clinging as best as her small form could to the omega, and Peter laughed and held her close. “Oh, you’re so much bigger than when I left! Look at you! You’ve nearly doubled in size!”

 

“Bee,” she cooed, giggling afterward. Peter immediately felt the tears rising in his eyes as the little girl reached for the end of his hair. She hadn’t been able to say much more than a few words when he had left, and she hadn’t ever gotten the words out so clearly either. It was such a big change...   
  
He sniffled softly as his smile softened, seeing her happy and smiling little face reminded him of one of the reasons he had come back. “I missed you all…” he whispered before hugging her close again as he tried to keep the tears from falling.   
  
“We all missed you too, you know,” a voice called from behind him. Peter jumped before he turned to look back, and there behind him were the nesters. Bucky was smiling at him, and Natasha had that little smirk that he had learned meant she was happy. Wanda, Hope, and Riley were all there and smiling as well. Even Loki was there with that soft look he usually only reserved for Thor and his pups.   
  
Suddenly exceptionally shy, Peter looked down at his lap, biting his bottom lip as he began to lose the battle against his tears. “I missed you too,” he sniffled.   
  
  
“Oh, kid, don’t cry on us,” Natasha said, sauntering up with the others behind her. She took Liliya from his arms before pressing a kiss to the top of his head.   
  
“‘M sorry,” Peter sniffled before smiling when Bucky came to sit directly beside him and the others gathered around him and the pups.   
  
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Bucky said with a smile, wrapping his arm around the small shoulders of the other. Peter nodded slightly, resting his head on the larger omega’s shoulder as he tried to subtly wipe his eyes.

  
It was quiet for a few minutes as the pups happily returned to their mother’s arms and laps. “How are you doing, Pete?” Bucky finally asked, stroking Sammy’s pale curls as he drifted between dreamland and consciousness.   
  
Peter’s small shoulders raised slightly before falling back down, looking around at all of the happy and sleepy pups. “I’m okay,” he said softly while fiddling with his fingers. Since the others had joined him, Peter couldn’t help but feel nervous that maybe this was a bad idea, and he fell into silence.   
  
After a few moments of silence, Bucky spoke again. “I heard that the others were talking about you becoming an official pack member,” he said with a slight smile, hoping to pull the other from his sudden quiet and almost sad revenue.   
  
The smaller omega nodded slightly, not fully paying attention as he looked off to the side. Bucky frowned when he got such a small reaction from Peter, and he looked to the others to see their own looks of odd confusion. They thought it would make him happy. That was the reason he came back, right?   
  
“Peter?” Natasha called. All she received was a hum in response. “Are you sure you’re okay?” Peter nodded and hummed softly once more, still seemingly lost in his own world.   
  
It was Loki that seemed to somehow break the spell around the boy. “Peter?” he called softly, the tenderness a mother might use to call to a pup. This time the mentioned omega actually looked up from his lap. “What are you thinking?”   
  
The response was another tiny shrug, but after a moment, the other actually spoke. “What if this isn’t real?” he finally said after a moment. “What if it’s just another nightmare, and I’m going to wake up alone?”   
  
The others frowned at his response, surprised by the sudden question. “Why… Why would think it’s just a dream?” Bucky asked, lightly squeezing the other’s shoulder.

 

“Because… Every night I go to bed and dream about waking up and being back here, but then I just wake up alone…” he said tightly, tears slipping down his cheeks. Just as Bucky’s arm starts to tighten around him in a comforting hold, Peter slipped out of his grasp and stood up. “I’m… going to go for a walk. I just need some air.”   
  
“Peter, it’s freezing out. You’ll catch your death out there,” Natasha said quickly, trying to catch the omega before he left.   
  
“Then I’ll just sit on the edge. I’ll be careful, promise. I just need air.” He argued before changing into a petite wolf and slipping out before any more protest could be heard.

 

The nesters looked between themselves, nervous as to where the little wolf was going. It was quiet for a moment or two as they all seemed to ponder exactly what just happened. “Should we tell Tony?” Wanda asked, looking towards Bucky.  
  
“Tell me what?” Tony asked, walking in with the rest of the pack and a smile on his face. “Where’s Peter?” he asked curiously when he couldn't see the boy.  
  
“He went to get some air,” Hope said.  
  
Tony frowned; “When did he leave?”  
  
“Just a minute ago,” Natasha said. The alpha nodded and walked towards the entrance to the cave. “Tony,” she started, catching the alpha before he did anything stupid. “Just give him a minute or two.”  
  
“I’m sure it’s a bit overwhelming,” Hope said softly, “and an emotional rollercoaster being back.” Tony nodded slightly before sitting down with the rest of the pack, feeling an unease deep in the pit of his stomach.  
  
  
  
It took about ten minutes for Tony to break. He had been sitting with the others, nonstop bouncing his knee until he suddenly stood up. “I can’t do it anymore,” he said quickly. No one argued with him when Steve merely raised his hand and shook his head.  
  
Tony wandered out and immediately shifted into his wolf form. It was far too cold to be outside without the extra fur. He looked around for a sign of the smaller wolf, and when he saw none, he started climbing down the wall. At the bottom, he forced himself to relax and follow his instincts.  
  
Before too long, he knew exactly where his feet were taking him. He followed the familiar path to the river where a small figure was sat looking off into the distance. He chuffed lightly to alert the other before he sat himself down beside the small omega wolf.  
  
Peter didn’t acknowledge him at first, but when Tony lightly nuzzled his side, trying to see how the other was doing, the boy turned to him. Tony could see the slight bit of ice around the boy’s cheeks, and he leaned forward to lick away the clearly frozen tears.  
  
The smaller frame of the boy leaned heavily into his side, and Tony tried to take the other as close to him as possible. His head wrapped around the boy’s neck, and he hugged Peter to him. The small wolf seemed to shake slightly, and Tony felt his heart break as he realized that the other was _still_ crying.  
  
Gently rubbing his jaw along the smaller’s shoulder, Tony offered as much comfort as he was able, lightly nuzzling and licking the other’s ears in a comforting manner. It took several minutes before Peter’s shakes began to slow down.  
  
When he pulled back, Tony lightly licked his cheek to wipe away the new tears. Peter looked down at the ground, and Tony frowned when it became apparent once again that he had no way of communicating with the other like this.  
  
The pair stayed curled together for several minutes when suddenly Peter began to disentangle himself. Before Tony even had time to really react, Peter had changed forms.  
  
With a violent shiver, Peter hid against the fur along Tony’s neck, hugging the wolf tightly. Tony slowly allowed himself to change as well, and his arms wrapped tight around the boy even as goosebumps immediately erupted along his skin.  
  
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Tony whispered against the younger’s hair, trying to fight the urge to immediately change back into his warmer skin. Peter shook his head, hiding deeper against Tony’s neck. A small sob fell from the smaller’s lips, and Tony hugged him tighter. “Sweetheart…” he whispered, wanting to help the other.  
  
“I shouldn’t have come back,” Peter sobbed. “I shouldn’t have!”  
  
“What? Why not?” Tony asked, feeling ice run through his veins.  
  
“I can’t ask everyone to change for me… I can’t ask the entire world to stop just for me.”  
  
“The world isn’t changing, sweetheart. Our world changed when you _left_. The pups would never sleep or settle. Everyone was more tense and uptight. Aggravated even.” Tony said, wiping his thumb across the boy’s cheek to catch the tears before they froze.  
  
Peter shook his head, not believing what the other was saying while he moved to hide once more against Tony’s neck. “What if this isn’t real, alpha? What if I wake up and realize this is just a dream?”  
  
Tony frowned and hid his face against the curls atop the other’s head. “This is real, Peter. I promise it is. You’re here. I'm here. This isn’t a dream, sweetheart.” Another suppressed sob left the younger, and Tony squeezed him tight. “I don’t know how to make you see it…” he whispered softly, “but it is real, sweetheart.”  
  
A silence fell on the pair as the younger struggled to stop his tears, and the elder struggled to provide comfort. “I don’t know how to make you see, sweetheart… We want you here. The pack… We all talked earlier, and we want to make you a real member. We want you to stay with us.”  
  
Peter sniffled and peaked up at the man, wiping away his tears. “I…”  
  
“Shhh,” Tony whispered, leaning down and lightly pumping his nose against the other’s. “Please stay. Please stay with me.”  
  
A small choked sob left Peter at Tony's words, spoken with such a deep-rooted desire that the omega's own chest ached. Leaning up, Peter lightly pressed his lips against the alpha’s. Tony hummed softly, gently squeezing the other as another gust of wind ran over their skin. Their kiss stayed gentle and light, even as more tears left the younger male’s eyes.  
  
“Please,” Tony whispered against the other’s lips when he pulled away. “Please. Stay with me.”  
  
Swallowing down all of his fears and nerves, Peter raised his gaze and met the alpha’s eyes. He was surprised to see the stains that ran down Tony’s own face, and the absolute desperation and fear in his eyes.  
  
“Even if you don’t want to stay here,” Tony suddenly said, startling the other. “Please. I’ll follow you anywhere. I’ll move to the mountains if that’s what you want. I’ll travel to the other side of the country. I’ll do anything for you, Peter, please just let me stay with you…”  
  
Reaching up with shaking hands, Peter lightly cupped the man’s face. “I wouldn’t ask you to leave your family…”  
  
“You’re my family,” Tony said without missing a beat.  
  
Peter smiled sadly before chewing his bottom lip. He moved slowly, pressing his cheek lightly against the other’s. “I don’t want to leave…” he whispered.  
  
“Then why are you so sad about being back?” Tony asked softly after a moment, clinging to the omega.  
  
Peter was silent for a moment before finally speaking up. “I… I don’t want to make everything change… I don’t want to be the kid that everyone’s stuck with because they feel bad for him… I… I don’t want to make everyone’s lives harder or put them in danger…”  
  
“That’s not the case,” Tony said gently. “You aren’t making it harder, and you won’t be putting anyone at risk.”  
  
“You know I will,” Peter said softly, looking away. “The second I go into heat…”  
  
“I’ll be there,” Tony said softly, lightly resting his chin on the boy’s shoulder. “I’ll help you.”  
  
Peter flushed, hiding for a second. “But what if my scent-”  
  
“Shhh,” Tony whispered, lightly nuzzling behind the other’s ear. “I’ll be there. Whatever you want or need, I’ll be there.”  
  
Nodding slightly, Peter fell silent for a moment before turning and meeting the other’s eyes. “I just… I don’t know.”  
  
“Then we’ll go back. We’ll talk to the pack, and if you want, I’m sure Steve will hold a meeting, and you can talk to everyone and see what they think.” Tony said quickly, looking down at the other with imploring eyes.  
  
Peter waited for a moment before nodding slightly. “I… Okay… Can we go now though? I’m cold…” Tony laughed lightly while nodding quickly before he pressed a soft kiss to the boy’s cheek.

 

“Let’s go.”  
  
  
  
  
  
The pair ran back to the cave quickly, fighting the cold as the wind seemed to pick up once they had finished their talk. They made it back to the cave, and each of them shook out their fur before shifting to their bipedal forms.  
  
The rest of the pack was still sitting around the fire, having apparently started to get dinner ready while they were gone. “You’re finally back!” Bucky said with a grin, standing up and walking towards the others. He hugged Peter tight before shivering. “You’re freezing. Go sit by the fire,” he scolded.  
  
Peter chuckled softly and began walking to the fire. “You sound like my mother.”  
  
“Kid, I am a mother,” Bucky said with a smirk before laughing. He turned back to Tony, lightly squeezing his shoulder and giving him a slight nod before returning to the fire as well.  
  
Tony left to talk to Steve, and Peter sat nervously by the fire to get warm. He kept his head low and played with his fingers while the others talked, not wanting to disturb the peace. Liliya climbed into his lap after a moment or two, and he held her tight in his arms, resting his chin on the top of her little head while continuing to stare into the fire.

  
Bucky lightly tapped Peter on the shoulder, pulling the boy from his thoughts. Whatever Bucky was about to ask almost immediately left him when Tony came over and stole Peter’s attention. “Come with me?” he asked softly to which Peter silently nodded.   
  
Peter glanced at Lili before looking back to Tony, and when Tony nodded in agreement, the omega stood with the child in his arms. He followed the alpha towards the Chief, not even realizing that a bit of a hush had fallen on the rest of the pack.   
  
Steve smiled at Peter, lightly ruffling the omega’s hair and bringing forth a hint of a smile. “Take a walk with me?” the Chief asked.   
  
“But I just got back inside…” Peter said softly, looking back down at Lili.   
  
“Inside. I need to go get something.”   
  
Peter nodded slightly, and Steve turned before beginning to walk into the cave. It took Peter a moment to follow, but when his feet started working, he walked only one step behind the Chief. Once they were out of sight, Steve moved to walk in time with the younger male.   
  
“I hear you’re having a hard time adjusting?” Steve asked after a few moments of silence.   
  
Worrying his bottom lip, Peter nodded slightly. “I… don’t want to be a bother…”   
  
Steve lightly rested his hand on the small omega’s shoulder. “You’re not a bother, Peter. You’re actually very helpful.”   
  
“It doesn’t feel that way…” he whispered, looking towards his feet.   
  
“You’re a lot more helpful than I was at your age.”   
  
A humorless laugh fell from Peter’s lips. “I doubt that,” he said bitterly.   
  
“Well, that’s because you only know me as I am now. You didn’t know me back then.” Steve said seriously, but his tone was light, almost saddened. Peter looked up at the man, surprised to see the look in his eyes.   
  
“What do you mean?” he asked softly.   
  
The pair stopped walking then, standing in the center of the pathway within the cave and staring at each other. “When I was younger, I was tiny. Smaller than you. Frailer than you as well. I was…” he trailed off before moving his hand, resting it horizontally against Peter’s chest only an inch below his collarbone. “I was this tall until I was a few years older than you.”   
  
Peter’s eyes widened considerably, and he shifted Lili to hold her more against his hip. “What…? H-How?”   
  
Steve smiled slightly. “I was very sick. I was skin and bone, more so than when you got here. I was always getting sick with the weather, and everyone used to just sit and wait for me to die.” The corner of the alpha’s lips dipped down into a hint of a frown. “No one would come around me. If they did, it was to pick on me. I was always getting into fights, but I… I never was winning. Bucky… Bucky was the only one that’d be seen with me. He was always saving me in a fight, or he’d take care of me when I was sick. He was just… He was the only thing keeping me going sometimes.”   
  
Steve shook his head and shrugged slightly before meeting Peter’s eyes again. “The point is, Peter, that you’re not alone. You’re never alone. Even if it feels as though the world is against you, there’s going to be one person standing on your side. You’ve got Tony, and you’ve got Bucky, and me, and the rest of the pack. You’re not just a kid to us. You’re one of the best pack members we have.”   
  
Peter sniffled, dropping his gaze as he fought hard against the tears trying to fall from his eyes. “I just don’t want to risk everyone…”   
  
“You’re not risking anyone. We’ve had our fair share of fights, and I assure you, they’ve been for smaller things than a really great kid like yourself.” Steve said with a slight smile before a frown fell across his face.   
  
The omega’s small frame began to shake as tears ran down his cheeks. Lili fussed slightly as her holder fell into distress, and she squirmed a bit. “Peter?” Steve called softly, reaching for the omega.   
  
The other seemed to fall into his arms, sobbing against Steve’s chest as he held Liliya close to himself. “What if something happens? What if people get hurt? What if the pups get hurt?”   
  
“Peter…” Steve said softly, wrapping his arms tight around the smaller male and holding him close. “I promise you we’re strong. We’re a pack of fighters. We all know how to fight, and we would all lie our lives down before someone even got close to the pups, I promise you that.”   
  
“I don’t want any more people to die because of me!” the omega cried.   
  
Steve frowned deeper before lightly running his hand along the smaller male’s spine. “I”m sorry. Peter, no one is going to die. We’re safe here. If we think there’s danger coming, we’ll be prepared, or we’ll move. We have other areas where we’ve stayed. We can always go to a new place, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come with us.”   
  
Shaking his head, Peter shifted Liliya in his arms, holding her closer as she let out a sad whine. “I can’t ask everyone to move just for me. I can’t ask people to change their lives.”   
  
“I’m not saying we’re going to move tomorrow,” Steve said with a slightly awkward chuckle. Comforting had always been Bucky’s strong suit over his, and he was beginning to wish he’d dragged his mate with him. “I’m just saying that you don’t have to worry about that. We have plenty of options.”   
  
“But what about when I go into heat? What then? What if alphas come after the pack?” Peter asked.   
  
“Do you forget that when you and Tony bond your scent won’t be as strong? That it’ll change?” he said gently. “When it changes, you’ll be like the rest of the pack. You won’t be any more of a danger than Bucky or Natasha or Sam or Tony even.”   
  
Peter sniffled, shaking his head slightly again before biting his lip. “What if they take me away from Tony?” he whispered.   
  
Steve’s brow furrowed before he cupped the boy’s cheeks, tilting his chin up to look into his eyes. He frowned with what he saw: chocolate brown large, heartbroken eyes. “No one will ever get close enough to take you from him. Or from the pack if you choose to stay. I promise you that.”   
  
Peter pulled away lightly before stopping when a little hand touched his wet cheek. “Bee… Bee, no go…” Liliya mumbled. Peter blinked down at the little girl, having only heard her babble a bit to her mother or father, but nothing like this.   
  
“Lili?” he whispered, a few more tears slipping down his cheeks.   
  
The little girl frowned before patting his cheek, fussing in the back of her throat. “Bee… No.” She said as adamantly as her little frame could say as she patted the wetness on his cheek. “No…”   
  
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he whispered, wiping his cheeks and trying to smile at her.   
  
Liliya turned and looked at Steve, pouting at him. He smiled at her gently before resting his hand on Peter’s shoulder. “I think she’s very adamant that you stay,” he said to Peter, smiling at him.   
  
He chuckled softly, nodding a bit before kissing Lili’s cheek. “I’ll…”   
  
“You don’t have to decide now. You can think about it. Talk to some of the pack members, or we can have a meeting and talk about it then, just… think about what we’ve talked about, okay?” Steve said.   
  
Peter swallowed nervously for a second before he nodded slowly. “Okay.”


	11. The Changes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys!
> 
> I'm back with a new chapter, plus I updated ALL of the chapters before this, so you might want to go check a few things out!! I hope that the update and this chapter puts us back in a good place for this story, and I hope you guys like it. I probably won't have another chapter (for this story) until after Christmas, so MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Thank you all SO much for being here with me this year and through everything that went wrong. I really appreciate and love every single one of you, and I really hope you guys know that. Here's to 2019 - May it not be so shitty!
> 
> Much love <3
> 
> If you wanna chat on tumblr, hit me up at starkerforlife (because I didn't die in the purge LOL).

After dinner, Peter was quick to slip away from the others, much to their dismay. Bucky had frowned when he left, thinking of going after him until his mate had wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Leave him,” Steve said gently, kissing the corner of Bucky’s frown. “He needs some time.”   
  
“He’s not been himself…” Bucky said softly, staring off where the other omega had disappeared.   
  
“He needs time to think, Buck,” Steve said softly, kissing behind the other male’s ears. “I mean, it’s been a crazy few weeks for him.”   
  
“I know, I know,” Bucky sighed, glancing over at Tony who was staring off at the spot where Peter had disappeared. Reaching out, Bucky lightly rested his hand on the other man’s shoulder. Tony jumped as he was pulled from his thoughts, turning to look back at the omega. “Go talk to him,” Bucky said gently. “He needs you.”   
  
With a nod, Tony stood and began walking towards his den before he stopped. He quickly turned around and returned, sitting down on the other side of Steve. “Steve, can I ask you something?” he said quickly.   
  
Steve’s brows furrowed, but he nodded. “Of course.”   
  
“Can we hold a meeting? Have a pack meeting about whether or not they want Peter to stay? What they think of him staying?” he said quickly, his knee bouncing slightly. “I… I don’t know if it’ll help, but maybe it will. He won’t listen to me, but maybe if everyone says it, maybe then he’ll listen and relax a bit. Can you at least think about it?”   
  
Steve smiled slightly, reaching out to rest his hand on Tony’s bouncing knee. He gave a small squeeze, waiting for Tony’s eyes to meet his. “I actually had that exact thought earlier. Something for tomorrow though, I think. He needs the rest.”   
  
Tony nodded and quickly gave Steve’s wrist a small squeeze before standing once more and leaving the room. Unbeknownst to him, he left behind the nervous but gentle smiles of the pack as he hurried quickly to his den.   
  


 

  
Peaking into the den, Tony saw Peter standing in the middle of the room, looking around slowly. “Peter?” he asked softly, slipping into the space. The boy turned slowly to look back at the man, tears once again running down his cheeks. “Pete-”   
  
“You kept them?” the boy asked softly. Tony’s brow furrowed before his eyes dropped to see the small wolf carving and the worn teddy bear.   
  
Tony smiled slightly before giving a small nod. “Of course. I… I felt bad that you didn’t get them before you lef-”   
  
Suddenly the breath of air he was using to talk was knocked out of him as a small body all but slammed into him, arms circling tightly around his neck and squeezing. A sob bubbled from Peter’s throat as he hid his face in Tony’s neck.   
  
Tony merely held the boy tight, wrapping his arms around that narrow waist and holding him close to his chest. It was a few moments of heavy tension, Tony trying his hardest to soothe the little one while the boy struggled to wrangle his emotions back in.   
  
When his frame stopped shaking, Tony very gently pulled back to look down at the boy against his chest. “Sweetheart…?”   
  
Peter raised his eyes slowly, lashes clumped together with the wetness of his tears. “Why did you keep them?” he asked softly, pulling his arms back towards himself. He stared down at his bear and the beautiful carving of his aunt, uncle, and himself.   
  
“Because… I was hoping to… see you again. They’re yours. I couldn’t just… get rid of them. They’re reminders of you.” Tony smiled sadly, reaching down to wipe the boy’s cheeks to get rid of the tears.   
  
The omega rubbed his face against the alpha’s palm, a few extra tears slipping past his lashes and down his cheeks. “Thank you,” he whispered, sniffling softly. Tony nodded before pulling the smaller back into his arms, holding him close to his chest. Peter went without a drop of hesitation, tucking himself under the alpha’s chin to enjoy his warmth fully.   
  
After a few moments, Tony carefully pulled away, pressing a kiss to the other’s curls. Peeking up through his hair, Peter followed after the elder, sitting down on the familiar furs when Tony did. The pair sat in silence for a moment before Peter set his bear and carving just to his left before crawling into the alpha’s arms and hiding against his neck again.   
  
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled against the warm skin of the other’s neck.   
  
“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” Tony said softly, carefully moving them to lie in what was once their usual position.   
  
“But I do…” Peter muttered, voice even more muffled than before as he hid more firmly against Tony’s neck. “I’m just being a stupid kid...”   
  
“Peter,” the alpha sighed lightly, running his fingers through the mentioned boy’s hair, “you know you’re allowed to have feelings, right?”   
  
“But I haven’t done anything but  _ cry  _ since I got back.”   
  
“And that’s okay,” Tony said quietly, hugging the boy closer to his chest. “You’re allowed to cry. I might not understand what exactly causes the tears, but I imagine it would be quite stressful-”   
  
Peter laughed though there was no humor in his tone. “I keep thinking I’m just going to wake up and realize that I’m not really here…” he muttered.   
  
Tony sighed heavily. He could feel his patience slipping slightly. He just wanted Peter to be happy to be back, but he seemed almost more miserable than when he had left. “Why… Why do you always think it’s just a dream?”   
  
“Because I’ve been dreaming of coming back since the day I left,” the boy mumbled quietly. Tony frowned and looked down at the curls against his chest, but before he could even ask his question, the boy was speaking again. “I… never wanted to leave. Not really. I love Quill’s pack, they’ve always been like family, but… I really loved being with you guys. Here… it felt more like a true family, like a blood one.”   
  
“Why did you leave if you didn’t want to?” Tony asked quietly.   
  
“I… I couldn’t deny what I had been hearing. I was a danger to the pack. I use to have nightmares that the alphas that attacked me had come and attacked the pack, injured or killed everyone, including the pups. I use to have horribly vivid nightmares where instead of playing with the pups I was… I was just holding them and-and-” Peter broke into a sob, curling up tight against Tony’s side as he finally admitted his fears out loud. “They were dead. I couldn’t do anything to help them. I just failed everyone.”   
  
Tony held Peter as tight to him as he could, moving them until they were both resting on their sides with the omega tucked under his chin and against his chest. “I just keep thinking that… I left to keep everyone safe, but then I came back because I missed you too much. I just… I’m afraid of making the wrong decision. I’m afraid of being the cause of more deaths.”

  
“Peter,” Tony whispered, threading his fingers in the base of the boy’s curls. He pressed a kiss to the other’s forehead, fighting back his own tears. “You didn’t cause any deaths, and you’re not going to cause any.”  
  
“But I did! I’m the reason May and Ben are dead!”  
  
“No! You’re not!” Tony snapped, pulling the boy back to look into his eyes. Peter purposefully avoided them though, and Tony growled softly; “Look at me, Peter.” It took a moment, but the omega finally raised his eyes, catching the alpha’s nervously. “You did not cause the death of your aunt and uncle. Those alphas that thought they could just come in and take what they wanted by force is who caused their deaths.” Peter’s mouth opened, but a growl from deep within Tony’s throat had the argument cut off instantly and a whimper to leave the other’s throat. “Listen to me. I don’t care if your scent is what may have caused them to enter your grounds. I don’t care if it was the fact you’re an unclaimed omega. Because at the end of the day, you did nothing wrong. You didn’t ask for them to come in. You didn’t ask for your aunt and uncle to die. You didn’t ask for anything except that they leave you and your family alone. The fact that they were the breed that thought just because you were an omega that you were lesser and that you were like property is disgusting. The fact that they killed your family in an attempt to claim you is revolting. It may have been your scent or your rank that caused them to enter your area, but it was _them_ that killed your family, not you.”  
  
“They never would have come into our area if it wasn’t for me,” Peter bit back bitterly.  
  
“You don’t know that!” Tony argued, cupping the boy’s cheeks and looking deep into his eyes. “At the end of the day, sweetheart, we have no idea why they came into your area. It could have been you, or it could have been resources or hunger or any number of things that drove them there. You could have been simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”  
  
“But you don’t know that.”  
  
“But you don’t know that you were the reason either.”  
  
Peter sniffled, looking away from the alpha and swallowing down his tears. “Sweetheart,” Tony sighed, leaning in and kissing the tears gathered under the omega’s eyes. “I’m sorry if that was harsh, but I don’t want you to keep beating yourself up for the rest of your life.”  
  
A noise came from the back of the omega’s throat, and he pulled away from the older, sniffling softly. Tony reached out, tipping the boy’s chin up slightly. “I’m not asking you to just switch off your feelings, darling. I’m asking you to live again. Don’t you think that’s what Ben and May would have wanted? For you to find happiness without them? A family?”  
  
Peter’s lip trembled as fresh tears began to spill from his eyes and down his cheeks. “But, alpha…”  
  
“Shhh,” Tony whispered, wiping the tears away as soon as they fell. “All you have to do is try, sweetheart. Just try and be happy again. Give us a chance.”  
  
Maybe it was the ambiguous us that slipped from Tony’s lips or maybe Peter was finding the truth in his words, but the omega nodded slightly, lightly nuzzling the other’s palm before moving closer. “Only if the pack agrees. If they don’t, I’m not staying.”  
  
Tony nodded quickly, feeling his heart flutter wildly as he pulled the smaller closer. “I couldn’t ask for anything else,” he said gently before softly pressing his lips against the omega’s.  
  
  
  
When the morning came, Tony found himself feeling the most rested he had in weeks. He glanced down to see his smaller partner curled against his side, hugging his bear tightly and still sleeping. He couldn’t say Peter was sleeping peacefully though.  
  
There was a little furrow between his brows that Tony reached out and soothed away. He hummed a soft tune as he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to settle the sleeping boy. Peter it seemed had other plans.  
  
Chocolate brown eyes blinked open, and there was an adorable tired confusion clouding them until they settled on Tony. Suddenly his pupils grew two times in size before he sat himself up slowly, still clutching the bear while looking at the other. “You’re… real?” he asked softly, confusion and disbelief dripping from his words.  
  
A frown pulled at the alpha’s lips as he pushed himself up slowly, reaching out to take Peter’s free hand in both of his. “Yes, I’m real. I told you before it wasn’t a dream.”  
  
Nodding slightly, Peter looked down at their hands before moving his own to thread them carefully through Tony’s larger and rougher fingers. “So… What happened yesterday…?”  
  
“Was also not a dream,” Tony supplied helpfully.  
  
A flush covered Peter’s cheeks, and he let out a small breath. “Oh…” It was silent for a minute before he spoke again. “I’m sorry.”  
  
Tony sighed; “Peter, you don’t have to apolo-”  
  
“I’m not apologizing for that,” he said quickly, hanging his head. “I’m just apologizing for making everyone worry… I’ve had so many dreams where I came back only to wake up. I think I was just afraid it was going to be another one…”  
  
“I understand,” Tony said softly, shifting closer and pressing a kiss to the crown of Peter’s head. “I doubt any of this is very easy.”

 

Peter laughed softly, lightly squeezing his bear out of nerves. “Some of them were so real… I would wake up thinking I was really here, but…”

 

Tony frowned, nodding slightly before leaning down to kiss the omega’s cheek. “I’m sorry…”  
  
Peter shook his head, lightly bumping his nose against the other’s while smiling sadly. “Well, this time I… I got to wake up with you, so…” He muttered as his cheeks began to turn a bright red. “And… I… I’m… I’m really happy to be back. If the others still want me to stay,” he added in a rush.  
  
Tony smiled, lightly nosing his way down Peter’s temple to his cheek. “I’m sure they will be,” he said, and his smile grew as a shy one began to cover Peter’s own lips. “Breakfast?” he said, kissing the rose pink cheeks of the other.  
  
“Please. I’m starved.”  
  
  
  


The pair made their way to the center of the den, surprised to see everyone else gathered around and getting breakfast ready. “What’s everyone doing awake so early?” Tony asked while leading Peter to their usual spot.   
  
“We thought it’d be good for the pack to have breakfast together. Welcome our new member,” Steve said with a grin.   
  
Peter chewed his lip nervously, hiding behind Tony’s shoulder. He glanced at the alpha, and Tony smirked slightly, patting the boy’s knee. “What was the verdict?” Tony asked, looking up at Steve.   
  
“What do you think?” Clint asked from his spot resting near Natasha, Liliya happily bouncing on his knee. Tony grinned before turning to look at Peter, who was frowning slightly.   
  
“What’s… going on?” he asked softly, looking up at Tony nervously. He was scared to get his hopes up with the ways the others were talking.   
  
“I asked Steve last night to consider having a pack meeting. To talk about having you become an official member of the pack. I thought you’d like to hear from everyone. Thought it might help your nerves…” he said gently.   
  
Peter flushed darker before smiling faintly, kissing Tony’s shoulder gently. “You did that?”   
  
“Of course,” he said softly, gently rubbing the omega’s knee.   
  
“So you want the verdict before or after breakfast?” Bucky said, sitting beside Peter and gently smiling at the other omega.   
  
“B-Before?” Peter said softly, seemingly hiding even more behind Tony.   
  
“I think my opinion is pretty obvious,” Bucky smiled widely, chuckling softly. He looked from Peter to his mate’s eyes. “I think he should be allowed to be part of the pack.”   
  
“I agree with Bucky,” Sam said almost immediately after.   
  
“As do I, obviously,” Tony said, looking at Peter’s quickly reddening face as more people voiced their own opinions.   
  
Sam had merely smiled along as Riley happily chirped about his desire for Peter to stay. Natasha and Clint didn’t even get a chance to speak before Liliya seemed to spot the omega and began causing a fuss to get close to him (“I think baby girl here has put it very eloquently,” Clint had smirked, setting the little girl onto the floor and watching as she crawled to Peter. “She likes him better than me, and I’m her favorite.” Natasha had merely scoffed at that before shaking her head, seemingly annoyed but actually quite smitten with the alpha beside her judging by her eyes.) Rhodey and Clarissa had also agreed, smiling at the young boy. Steve then turned to Stephen, who Peter had never spent all that much time with and sometimes actually forgot was there. The man merely shrugged; “I have nothing against him joining the pack. I believe he would be a valuable asset,” he had said calmly.   
  
The Chief nodded back at him before turning to Scott and Hope. Cassie happily chirped their answer, however. “Yes! I want Peter to stay!” Scott and Hope both chuckled at their daughter’s antics before nodding at the head alpha to show that it was in fact true.   
  
Helen gave him a look as if she was surprised Steve would even ask her when the attention was put on her. “I would love for Peter to be a part of the pack,” she had started very matter-of-factly. Bruce quickly agreed with his mate when it was his turn to speak, smiling shyly.   
  
“I also would be very happy to have Peter as a packmate,” Pietro had spoken from beside his twin who was currently smiling and nodding.   
  
“I think I speak for both Wanda and myself when I say we would enjoy having him around permanently,” Vision said quietly, taking his mate’s hand within his own.   
  
Peter had been progressively growing shyer and shyer the more the pack agreed, and by the time it was Thor and Loki’s turn to speak, he was hiding behind Tony to the point where he was barely in view. He barely caught a glimpse of Loki smirking at him over Tony’s shoulder before his cheeks lit up in a dark blush.   
  
“Thor and I would be grateful to have Peter stay as a part of the pack. I had forgotten how wonderful it was actually getting decent sleep,” Loki said in his ever smooth and soft voice though everyone could hear the faint teasing lift.   
  
“Yes, I think highly of the small omega!” Thor’s loud and deep voice bellowed. “It would be very enjoyable to continue to have the boy around.”   
  
Peter peeked out again before squeaking as Tony pulled him out from behind him and held him where the pack could see. “Can… Why? Why are you guys okay with it? Dealing with me?”   
  
Steve frowned at the comment. “What do you mean dealing with you?” Bucky spoke before his mate had a chance.   
  
“I mean… Aren’t I annoying?” Peter said gently, looking at his feet. “Constantly changing my mind and causing problems?”   
  
Clint barked out a laugh, and Peter frowned when he looked at him. “Kid, what teenager isn’t a bit difficult at times? You think we’re gonna throw you out just because you change your mind about things?”   
  
Pouting slightly, Peter shifted on his feet. “But I left and came back-”   
  
“Yes, but you came  _ back _ ,” Hope said pointedly, smiling from her place beside Scott.   
  
“And you’ve been through a lot, Peter,” Natasha said. “I’m sure it’s not easy. Going with the people that had a semblance of home? I don’t blame you.”   
  
“Besides,” Bucky said with a smile, walking towards the other, “you’ve done so much good for us. We can’t just ignore all the good you’ve done just because you wanted to go to your family friends’ pack.”   
  
Peter chewed his lip, looking from Bucky to the ground before glancing at the other members of the pack. “I… I don’t know.”   
  
“Peter,” Steve spoke up, “what’s really stopping you?”   
  
Wrapping his arms around himself, Peter looked at the Chief, fighting the nerves that were quickly rising. “I’m just afraid that they’ll come back… That you guys will get hurt.”   
  
“Well that’s sweet of you,” Natasha drawled, smirking, “you have no idea the things we’ve gotten through over the years. We’ve had our fair share of fights.”   
  
“Really?” Peter asked in confusion, frowning at some of the pack members. He looked back at Steve; “You really got into fights?” Steve half-smirked at the boy, shrugging slightly before the twist of his lips turned into a smile.   
  
“You’ve never told him?” Rhodey asked, resting his arm around his mate’s narrow waist.   
  
Peter frowned before looking back at Tony, who was shaking his head. “It never came up.”   
  
“Never came up?” Clint said with a laugh.   
  
Natasha lightly flicked her mate’s ear, ignoring his protest before turning to look at Peter, but it was Loki that made the sudden move. With a sigh, he passed the twins off to Thor before sauntering towards the young omega. “Come with me,” he said, taking the other omega by the hand and dragging him out of the room before anyone could protest.

  
Tony blinked, watching Peter be dragged out of the room. “Wha-What?” he stuttered.   
  
Thor came up to him, grinning and passing one of the twins to Tony. “He knows what to say,” he said. Tony took a deep inhale, sighing softly and focusing on the pup in his arms to ignore the worry bubbling within him. Loki was always known to not hold back on the details, and to be honest, Tony really didn’t want to scare Peter away.

  
It took almost ten minutes - trust him, Tony had been counting - before the two omegas had reappeared. As shy as he looked before, the alpha was surprised to see Peter smiling as he came back instead of looking like he was about to run back to the mountains. Quickly coming up to him, Loki merely scooped Bard into his arms. Peter quickly replaced the pup, still holding Lili in his arms.   
  
“What did he tell you?” Tony asked immediately, kissing the boy’s shoulder and watching him closely.   
  
“He went into great detail about what he would do should those alphas ever come anywhere near us,” Peter said softly, lightly rubbing his nose against Lili’s.   
  
Several laughs were heard around the room, and Peter himself smiled a bit. “Do you feel better?” Tony asked gently.   
  
“A bit,” Peter admitted. “Not perfect, but… It helped.” Tony smiled and gently squeezed the other tighter. After a moment, Peter quietly spoke. “Did… Did you really use to get into fights with other packs?” he asked softly.   
  
“When we were first starting out, yeah. Other packs use to come in and think they could take our resources or space just because we were a smaller pack, but after all the work we had done, we weren’t about to let someone else have it.”   
  
Peter made a soft noise in the back of his throat before turning to look at Tony over his shoulder. “Is that where this came from?” he asked, gently tracing the circular scar on the man's chest.   
  
“No, that’s… that’s a story for another time,” he said softly, taking Peter’s hand in his and kissing his knuckles. He nodded slightly, leaning forward to peck the tip of the alpha’s nose. Tony chuckled and hugged the omega tighter before getting distracted by another presence.   
  
“Tony, can I talk to you?” He was surprised to see Pepper there, her arms across her chest as she looked off to the side.   
  
“Uh, sure,” Tony said softly before carefully setting Peter beside him. He followed after the beta, suddenly feeling his nerves twisting in his gut. When they stopped, Tony frowned when he saw the far-off look in Pepper’s eyes.   
  
“I’m leaving,” she said suddenly.   
  
“What?” he stuttered, frowning. “Leaving?”   
  
She hummed before letting out a sigh. “I don’t want to sit here and watch you with him.”   
  
“So you’re leaving?”   
  
“Tony,” Pepper sighed, and Tony frowned before reaching for her hands.   
  
“Pep, you’re one of my best friends,” he said, but she cut him off before he could continue.   
  
“Tony, I thought you weren’t just my friend. I thought you were my  _ mate _ ,” she frowned. “I don’t want to watch you be with someone else when I thought that’d be me, especially since it’s not like I’m going to find someone here. What, am I supposed to settle down with Stephen?” she said with a scoff. They both chuckled gently, but Tony frowned as he squeezed her hands tightly.   
  
“Are you going to come back?” he finally asked.   
  
She shrugged slightly. “Maybe. Probably. I mean, you guys are my family at the end of the day. I’m not leaving forever because you’re with a brat.”   
  
Tony gave her a look at the comment, and she smiled, carefully pulling her hands from his and cupping his cheeks. “Listen. I know I haven’t been the best recently. I haven’t been rolling out the welcoming committee for the kid, and I don’t know… I’m still not happy about it, but,” she shrugged.   
  
The alpha frowned, thinking about everything that he suddenly seemed like he needed to say now that she was leaving. “Pep…”   
  
“Don’t, Tony,” she cut him off. “Don’t apologize. Especially if you’re not sorry.”   
  
“I am sorry. I’m sorry for not making things clear earlier,” he said with a frown. “I’m not sorry about falling in love with Peter, but I am sorry for the way I handled things. You deserved a lot better than I was giving the last few years…”   
  
Pepper took a deep breath before meeting Tony’s eyes again. That sadness that had been near constantly lingering in her gaze the past few weeks was back, but there was a bittersweet smile on her lips. “Well… Not going to disagree with you there. You have been a bit of an ass.”   
  
“Hey,” he playfully started.   
  
Her smile grew, and Tony found himself smiling in spite of himself. “Either way,” she continued, letting out a small sigh, “what’s done is done. I do hope the kid makes you happy though, Tony.”   
  
“And I hope you find someone that can make you happy,” he replied almost instantly. A small, awkward lapse in their conversation had them both taking a step back. “Have you talked to Steve?” he asked softly.   
  
“Yeah, I did last night. Told him I wanted to say goodbye before I left.” He nodded before rubbing the back of his neck.   
  
“Are you leaving now?” he asked.   
  
She glanced out at the opening, studying it for a moment. “I think so. I think it’s time that I go. Besides the weather hasn’t completely gone to shit yet.”   
  
“Going to say one last goodbye?” he asked.   
  
“No,” Pepper said, turning back to him and offering a slight smile. “I said goodbye to everyone already, except you.”   
  
Tony frowned and nodded before finally noticing the bag that was set by the mouth of the cave. “God, don’t look like a kicked pup,” she sighed before reaching out and hugging the man gently.   
  
The alpha leaned into the hug, giving the other a small squeeze. She carefully pulled away a moment later before lightly patting the man’s shoulder. “Okay, time for me to head out. I’ll… see you, Tony.”   
  
Tony nodded carefully before watching as she began the climb down their rock wall to her freedom. The alpha continued to watch her as she changed into a pale blonde wolf and disappeared through the trees carrying her sack. For several moments he stood there watching where the woman had vanished before he turned and slowly returned to the pack.

  
Steve had a knowing look on his face when Tony reemerged, but the alpha ignored it as he went back to Peter’s side. The omega was quietly talking to the child in his arms, but he looked up when the other returned.   
  
Peter frowned at the faraway look in Tony’s eyes. “Are you okay?” he asked softly, gently reaching out for the other. Tony rested against his back, pressing another kiss to the omega’s shoulder.   
  
“I… don’t know.”   
  
“What happened?” he asked curiously. “Where’s Pepper?”   
  
“She… left."


End file.
